Jonathon Moseley appeared in Henrico County court on April 23 and April 27 to face charges of practicing law without a license, stemming from events connected to a 2023 burglary case.
Prosecutors say the charges relate to Moseley’s involvement in the case of Zachary Alam, who was arrested for the burglary of a Henrico home and later convicted in October. During a motion hearing, Henrico Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dylan McAuley said Moseley drafted two legal motions for Alam prior to that conviction.
Moseley has denied the allegation, saying he was only helping Alam find legal representation.
At a motion hearing on April 23, Moseley’s attorney withdrew from the case. Moseley told the court he intended to represent himself. Judge Rondelle Herman appointed attorney Ben Shute as standby counsel to provide legal advice, but not to speak during trial proceedings.
Moseley, who traveled from his home in Florida to attend the hearing, was granted an additional hearing to work with standby counsel on pre-trial motions. His motion to dismiss the charges was denied.
At one point during the hearing, Moseley questioned how prosecutors had obtained his middle name. Judge Herman responded by explaining the legal definition of indictments and court procedure, noting she was not attempting to insult his intelligence.
Moseley lost his license to practice law in Virginia in April 2022 after originally being admitted in 1997. According to a 2022 Virginia State Bar disciplinary order, the case began with a complaint involving client funds deposited into a non-trust account and expanded into multiple violations. The order found Moseley used those funds for personal expenses and failed to comply with subpoenas during the investigation.
A three-judge panel ultimately found he violated rules including failure to safeguard client property, unauthorized practice of law, and filing a lawsuit that lacked merit. The case resulted in nearly $7,000 in sanctions and six days in jail for contempt of court.
You can read that order HERE.
Moseley filed a lawsuit against the judges involved in his disciplinary case. In that filing, he wrote: “The fact that Plaintiff Moseley spent his birthday in jail seems to be unable to penetrate the thick skull of these defendants in their imagined belief that if they merely commit enough vile, vicious terrorism, threat, and intimidation, somehow the Plaintiff will pay money he doesn’t have.”
While facing removal from the Virginia State Bar, Moseley represented clients connected to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including Alam, and was associated with individuals tied to the Oath Keepers. He also appeared on CNN in January 2022 to discuss cases involving Stewart Rhodes and others charged with seditious conspiracy.
Moseley’s trial is scheduled to begin on November 18 and is expected to last two days. He has indicated he may call witnesses, including attorney Roger Roots, though details remain unclear. Moseley also suggested he might seek to subpoena Shannon Taylor, the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County, whose office is prosecuting the case, a move Judge Herman indicated would likely not be permitted.
Outside the courtroom, Moseley’s friend, Merrie Turner, a former candidate for mayor in Roanoke, suggested the misdemeanor charges were politically motivated and tied to Shannon Taylor’s congressional campaign. Taylor’s office has not released any statements regarding Moseley’s ongoing criminal case.
Main image: Jonathon Moseley outside of the Henrico Courthouse on April 23, 2026. Photo by Goad Gatsby.
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