NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 17, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Wade Backstrom
218-726-2323 or backstromw@stlouiscountymn.gov
Luis Antonio Villafana Pleads Guilty
Court file # 69HI-CR-25-313
Today, before the Honorable Chief Judge Rachel Sullivan, Luis Antonio Villafana, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of Second Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct for Contact with a Child Under the Age of 14 and three counts of Dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material – Minor Under the Age of 14, announced St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki.
Under the plea agreement, Minnesota law, and the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, Mr. Villafana’s presumed sentence will range between 131 months and 180 months in prison. The exact amount of prison time that Mr. Villafana will serve will be argued by the parties and decided by Judge Sullivan at the sentencing hearing on October 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM. However, under the terms of the plea agreement, Mr. Villafana gave up the ability to argue for a departure from the presumed prison sentence, meaning the Court must sentence Mr. Villafana to a minimum of 131 months.
Because Mr. Villafana pleaded guilty to four counts, he will be sentenced on all four counts at the same hearing. Despite having no prior criminal history, Minnesota law allows the separate counts to “Hernandize”, where each conviction adds criminal history points to the next sentence. As a result, Mr. Villafana will have a criminal history score of 5 when sentenced on the last count, Dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The maximum sentence for this offense under Minnesota law is 180 months (15 years). Under standard sentencing law, Mr. Villafana will be eligible for supervised release after serving 2/3rds of the sentence, unless otherwise modified by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Mr. Villafana will also be placed on conditional release, a mandatory period of extended supervision for individuals released from prison after serving sentences for specific offenses (including sex offenses). This mandatory conditional release period typically extends beyond the standard parole period, and subjects a defendant to returning to prison if they violate the terms of release.
The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office credits the successful prosecution of this case to the joint investigation by the Chisholm Police Department, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Hibbing Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Tyler Kenefick.
For help please contact:
Domestic Abuse Intervention Project: theduluthmodel.org; 218-722-2781
American Indian Community Housing Organization: aicho.org; 218-722-2247
Safe Haven: safehavenshelter.org; 218-728-6481
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault: pavsa.org; 218-726-1931
Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse: casda.org; 715-392-3136
Advocates For Family Peace: www.affp.org; 218-248-5512
Sexual Assault Program of Northern St. Louis County: stopsexualviolence.org; 218-749-7227
First Witness Child Advocacy Center: firstwitness.org; 218-727-8353
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