Rappahannock News eEdition

Farm manager sentenced to 12 months in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor

Much of Monday’s Rappahannock County Circuit Court proceedings centered around Isaac Ivan Ruiz Regalado, 32, of Flint Hill. Ruiz Regalado, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, appeared in court to plead guilty and receive sentencing. The charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $2,000 ne. Ruiz Regalado entered an Alford guilty plea, which included a protestation of innocence. An Alford plea maintains the same consequences as a guilty plea.

The o ense in question occurred in July 2019 when Ruiz Regalado engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-yearold girl. The victim was the daughter of a friend of his, a girl he had allegedly known since she was 12 years old. Because the victim was a minor at the time of the o ense, she and her father have asked to remain anonymous.

The prosecution and the defense both presented two witnesses as evidence for the sentencing post-plea deal. Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Go called the victim and her father onto the stand. Expressing her embarrassment around the situation, the victim said that she and Ruiz Regalado had engaged in sexual intercourse twice prior to the July incident for which Ruiz Regalado was being formally charged.

“[Ruiz Regalado] did not force me, but I thought he might do something to my father,” she said. Later, she rephrased her testimony, saying that she “felt forced because I felt like [Ruiz Regalado] would do something to my father.” Ruiz Regalado’s attorney, Alene Sprano, requested that the report indicate that the victim was not intimidated or forced.

Sprano called Ruiz Regalado’s employer, Matt Neiswanger, and the founder of Knights Armour Security & Investigations Group, David Gambale, to the stand.

Neiswanger is the owner of High Meadow Manor Farm in Flint Hill, where Ruiz Regalado resides and oversees operations. Neiswanger, who has paid for his employee’s legal counsel, stressed his reliance upon Ruiz Regalado’s work.

“If Mr. Ruiz [Regalado] isn’t there to run the farm, my Spanish is not good enough to communicate with the workers … I will have to close up shop and leave Rappahannock,” Neiswanger stated.

When Neiswanger purchased his property in 2014, Ruiz Regalado oversaw the construction of Neiswanger’s home and stables, the planting of a 14-acre vineyard, and the excavation of a lake. He then oversaw Neiswanger’s operations on the 1,337acre estate, training and directing all Spanish-speaking staff and caring for all livestock and horses. Prior to the incident, Ruiz Regalado was routinely working 14-hour days, seven days a week. Since then, Neiswanger has paid for mental health counseling to assist Ruiz Regalado in setting clear boundaries.

Neiswanger was one of 20 Rappahannock County residents who submitted character references on Ruiz Regalado’s behalf. Some letters requested the court consider Ruiz Regalado as a candidate for home incarceration or 24-hour monitoring as opposed to the jail sentence. The second defense witness, David Gambale, owner of a GPS monitoring system company called Knights Armour Security, testified to the viability of establishing a geofence around the 1,300+ acre perimeter of High Meadow Manor Farm. Ruiz Regalado agreed to pay for the geofence and GPS system so that he could effectively serve his sentence on work release with home incarceration.

In her closing argument,

Go : “What falls through the cracks here is the girl. She was 16 years old. He was 30 years old … He needs to pay and there is only one way to make that happen: put him behind bars.”

Sprano submitted to the court that Ruiz Regalado would not be eligible for work release at Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail because the program has been suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic.

“He is not eligible for work release at RSW because of COVID, so we came up with another option. We are asking the court to place him on suspended sentence with GPS monitoring system and geofence in place,” Sprano stated. She went on to reiterate Ruiz Regalado’s remorse, alluding to a determination made by Dr. Edwin Carter, a clinical psychologist who conducted a neuropsychological evaluation on Ruiz Regalado which asserted that the defendant “now represents no threat to the community.”

The closing arguments made by Art Goff shifted the focus to the victim, emphasizing the emotional detriment she experienced.

“It is a serious matter. That of itself I think warrants 12 months in jail,” Goff said. “What falls through the cracks here is the girl. She was 16 years old. He was 30 years old … He needs to pay and there is only one way to make that happen: put him behind bars,” Goff said. Furthermore, he argued, the work release arrangement proposed by the defense “does not offer justice for [the victim].”

After a brief recess to review evidence, Judge Stephen Sincavage sided with the Commonwealth, sentencing Ruiz Regalado to 12 months in jail at RSW. While he authorized Ruiz Regalado for work release, he did not order the jail to specifically act on the work release. Because the program is suspended indefinitely, it is unclear whether or not Ruiz Regalado’s authorization will be implemented.

As Judge Sincavage discussed his ruling, he recognized the “collateral damage” that would result from Ruiz Regalado’s incarceration, specifically with regards to his family and High Meadow Manor Farm operations. However, Judge Sincavage stated that it was difficult to consider the collateral damage when there was “direct damage” done to the victim.

“These types of cases are always difficult for the court. I think sometimes people feel that court proceedings are deciding whether a person is a good person or a bad person. That is not what is happening here today. The reason you are here is one of the more negative aspects of your life … You made the decision, and you have to live with the consequences,” Judge Sincavage concluded.

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2021-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

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