Prison time for former MMA fighter convicted in Oneida County domestic violence case

Former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Frank R. Schuman of Lac du Flambeau, who competed under the nickname “the Nightmare,” was sentenced Tuesday to more than 7 years confinement after a jury convicted him of physically assaulting his former girlfriend and an acquaintance in separate incidents dating back to 2021 and 2022.

Schuman, 31, participated in Tuesday’s sentencing hearing from Fox Lake Correctional Facility where he is serving a separate 6 1/2-year sentence in connection with convictions out of Vilas and Outagamie counties related to acts of domestic violence committed against two other women, both former romantic partners.

Last month, an Oneida County jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding Schuman guilty of substantial battery, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, strangulation/suffocation, false imprisonment and battery.

The battery was committed against an acquaintance while Schuman’s former girlfriend was the victim of the other acts which included a strike to the chin with the barrel of a gun that knocked her unconscious.

In her sentencing argument, Oneida County district attorney Jillian Pfeifer called Schuman  “manipulative” and “egotistical” and theorized he may have developed “a sense of entitlement” after a Vilas County jury acquitted him of several domestic violence-related charges following a 2018 trial. 

He was convicted of three out of 11 counts in that case.

Pfeifer stressed that the women who testified during the Oneida County trial are genuinely afraid Schuman will attempt to exact revenge once released from confinement. She also noted that the severe battery inflicted on the acquaintance indicates he poses a potential threat to a wider population. 

“It’s moved beyond just romantic relationships to other individuals in the community,” she said, adding that Schuman poses a unique threat because he is “trained in how to inflict significant harm to individuals.”

 The prosecutor’s sentence recommendation was 8 years and 9 months confinement to be followed by 8 years extended supervision.

In her victim impact statement, Schuman’s former girlfriend suggested the defendant should be considered a “lethal weapon” due to the skills he developed in the ring. She told the court she believes she would have been killed if she had stayed in the relationship any longer.

“He claimed he owned the town and the police, manipulated me and scared me into thinking nothing would happen to him,” she told the court.

“I think it’s time that the justice system does what it’s supposed to do,” she added, noting that Schuman had an opportunity to change his ways after the 2018 Vilas County convictions and failed to do so. 

Pfeifer noted she believes most defendants find themselves before the court due to poor decisions and behavior rather than poor character but Schuman is the exception.

“I don’t believe Mr. Schuman is a good person and I think that has been illustrated time and time again and it’s unfortunate it’s taken this long for the justice system to catch up to it,” she concluded.

For his part, defense attorney Russell Jones asked that any sentence imposed be concurrent rather than consecutive to the significant prison sentence Schuman is currently serving. The reality is Schuman will be in custody for the next 6 years and then faces an additional 6 years on supervision, he noted.

“I don’t think the court needs to add on to that,” he said.

Given his chance to speak, Schuman said he’s truly sorry for his behavior and is interested in participating in an anger management/domestic violence program while in prison.

“I made some very dumb mistakes... did some very dumb things and I hurt people in the process and I apologize for that,” he said.

Noting that he presided over the 2018 Vilas County trial, Judge Mike Bloom said the consequences that followed that proceeding should have been enough to prompt Schuman to change his ways. Instead, for reasons known only to him, he has continued to hurt others.

On the strangulation count, Bloom sentenced Schuman to 18 months in prison and two years extended supervision. 

On Count 4 — second-degree recklessly endangering safety — he sentenced to Schuman to 5 years confinement and 3 years extended supervision. Both sentences are to be served after he completes his current prison term. Schuman was also sentenced on the false imprisonment and substantial battery counts involving his former girlfriend but those sentences will be served concurrently with the sentence in Count 1.

Finally, the battery count involving the assault on the acquaintance drew a 9-month sentence, the maximum allowed for that crime. 

The total sentence is 7 years and three months confinement to be followed by 5 years extended supervision.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].