City mayoral candidate drops appeal, pleads guilty to contempt, avoids jail

Lebanon city mayoral candidate Damian Vargas avoided jail Wednesday afternoon, March 25, after admitting that he acted in contempt of court at a Feb. 12 hearing before city Magisterial District Judge Aurelis Figueroa.

Vargas, who is seeking the GOP nod for mayor in the May primary, was found in contempt during an August 2024 hearing before Figueroa. He appealed Figueroa’s contempt ruling and requested a hearing in the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas.

According to an Order of Criminal Contempt filed last year by Figueroa, Vargas appeared at the August hearing before her and, when unpaid earlier fines and warrants against him were brought up, “Defendant Vargas became irate, began to state ‘you are all leeches’ ‘this [expletive] system is corrupt, why can’t you lower my fines like you lowered the bail for the shooters?'”

Figueroa’s order says that Vargas ignored warnings to stop cursing or be held in contempt. “After multiple times of being warned to stop yelling and cursing at and in the presence of [Figueroa], the Defendant was held in contempt….”

Vargas told LebTown that his reference to “the shooters” referred to Figueroa’s order allowing bail for a defendant who was then released and charged in a May 2023 triple homicide of two children and a teenager.

Just before his appeal hearing before Common Pleas Judge Donna Long Brightbill was scheduled to start, his attorney announced that Vargas was dropping his appeal and pleading guilty to the contempt charge.

Standing before Long Brightbill, Vargas admitted that he swore at MDJ Figueroa.

“I continued to let my anger and frustration come out and continued to swear after the MDJ Figueroa told me to stop,” said Vargas.

Referring then to the 2023 triple-homicide victims, Vargas told Long Brightbill, “I spoke for people who can no longer speak. I’m sorry.”

Figueroa, who had originally sentenced Vargas to 72 hours in jail for his contemptuous behavior, told Long Brightbill that she would approve of a non-jail sentence “if you believe he is remorseful.”

Long Brightbill then ordered Vargas to pay a $100 fine, and the hearing was concluded.

Vargas, 33, is the proprietor of ARE & BE Cafe on the city’s north side. He will face incumbent Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello in the Republican primary on May 20.