Written by: Michael Phillips
Augusta County, VA — A complex legal battle that has spanned multiple years in the Augusta County Circuit Court is approaching a resolution, following a plea agreement reached this week between attorneys for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Richard Edward Moore, a former executive vice president with Nexus Services in Verona, Virginia. The case, Commonwealth of Virginia v. Richard Edward Moore, has attracted considerable attention due to the controversial nature of Nexus Services, a company that has sued local Augusta County law enforcement multiple times in the past.
The Origin of the Case Moore was arrested in 2019 under allegations of perjury. The charge stemmed from a criminal complaint filed by David Briggman, a former employee and reported stalker of Moore. Briggman claimed he had attempted to serve Moore legal papers. Moore alleged that Briggman had thrown the papers at him, while Briggman claimed that he had handed them to Moore. This led to a warrant for Briggman’s arrest, and subsequently, Briggman approached Augusta County authorities alleging that Moore had committed perjury.
Years of Legal Limbo Initially pleading not guilty, the case had been postponed several times and was scheduled for trial this Friday. However, the case was unexpectedly moved up earlier this week. This reporter was in the Courtroom Wednesday as attorneys for both sides, including Commonwealth Attorney Caleb Kramer and defense attorneys Terry Kilgore and Amina Matheny-Willard, confirmed that a resolution had been reached in the case.
The Resolution On Wednesday, Moore changed his initial plea to a plea of "nolo contendere," or a really fancy way of saying "no contest". Although maintaining his innocence, Moore cited that the court's decision to deny his ability to call witnesses had effectively compromised his chance for a fair trial. While a series of motions and orders in the case have been sealed, making it impossible to report further details, the resolution means Moore will not stand trial, and his perjury charges will be dismissed.
As part of the agreement, Moore is required to complete 40 hours of community service. Upon fulfilling these terms, the Commonwealth Attorney has agreed to dismiss the charges against Moore.
Remaining Questions The case has generated questions about why it took several years to reach this point and why a case that began with a tactical arrest that shut down Interstate 81 for some time ended without a trial. Also curious to this reporter is why so many documents in the case have been sealed. Moore refused to speak with me about the case and the sealed items, citing the orders and his "desire to put this behind me".
Oathkeepers, Tossed Papers, and Polygraphs Ah, where to even begin with the quirks of this case? First off, David Briggman, the man at the epicenter of the tossed, or thrown—or shall we say levitated—papers, is none other than the former president of the Virginia chapter of the Oathkeepers. Yes, the very same Oathkeepers who gained notoriety following the January 6th insurrection against the U.S. government. You can't write this stuff—oh wait, I am. And let's not overlook the ever-so-critical question: to toss or not to toss? Upon examining multiple videos of the alleged paper-based 'assault,' Breaking Through News can confirm that, when viewed in cinematic slow motion, the papers were more airborne than handed. It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a lawsuit. But wait, there’s more. Moore even passed a polygraph test affirming his version of the 'assault.' Too bad for him that Virginia courts look at polygraphs the way most of us look at fortune cookies—fun to read, but not to be taken seriously.
Conclusion After an exhaustive four-year legal battle that has consumed considerable public resources, strained the local judicial system, and captivated the Augusta County community, the labyrinthine case against former Nexus Services VP Richard Moore is finally approaching its denouement. The case will not culminate in the dramatic crescendo of a jury's verdict, but rather in a quiet diminuendo: a dismissal that leaves a trail of unanswered questions in its wake. At the heart of it all, a question lingers—how much has this odyssey cost the taxpayers of Augusta County? And what does it say about the price of justice, or perhaps the lack thereof, when a case initiated by an alleged stalker's vendetta against his former employer can command such an outsized share of public resources and attention?
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