Ex-aide gets 3 years for embezzling campaign money

VIRGINIA BEACH

A Virginia Beach man will serve three years in jail for embezzling money from former state Del. Bobby Mathieson's political campaign accounts.

Judge Glen A. Tyler sentenced Jason Wesley Robinson to 10 years on the embezzlement charge Tuesday, then suspended seven years, according to Macie Pridgen, spokeswoman for the commonwealth's attorney's office.

Sentencing guidelines in the case called for a range of between one and six months. Tyler also ordered Robinson to pay restitution of $50,172.

Robinson, 26, was also convicted in 2004 of embezzlement in Chesapeake and received a suspended sentence. He started working for Mathieson in 2007.

Mathieson, who has said he didn't know about Robinson's prior embezzlement conviction, eventually hired Robinson as his legislative aide.

Mathieson learned in September 2009 that money was missing from his campaign account. He confronted Robinson, who admitted using the money for personal expenses. Mathieson then fired him and turned the matter over to State Police.

Mathieson was narrowly defeated for the 21st District House seat by then-Virginia Beach City Councilman Ron Villanueva.

Mathieson said after the hearing that it was hard to say whether having the money could have made an impact on the outcome of the race.

He pointed out that Tyler said that Mathieson wasn't the victim in the case, it was the public's money.

"I think that raised the bar with him," Mathieson said.

Robinson also faced a conviction on charges of eluding police. That incident took place Nov. 24 when a state trooper went to Robinson's home in the 1500 block of Indiana Ave. to serve him with a warrant in the embezzlement case, and the trooper saw him leaving the home in a car.

The trooper briefly pursued Robinson, then both returned to Robinson's home.

Tyler sentenced Robinson to another two years in that case but suspended the time.

Robinson was taken into custody after Monday's hearing, Pridgen said.

Jen McCaffery, (757) 222-5119, jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com