June 2014 to Present
Attorney at Law and founder of private law practice, Vinton, Virginia; successful law practice helping families throughout the Roanoke Valley.

May 2007 to May 2014
Team Chief / Lead Trial Counsel (Prosecutor), Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP), Military Commissions, Pentagon, Washington D.C. and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (August 2008-2014), prosecuting al Qaeda terrorists who attacked our nation on 911.

Staff Judge Advocate / Rule of Law Advisor, 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, Camp Slayer, Iraq

(May 2007 to August 2008)

Mobilized reservist to serve as chief legal advisor to brigade commander and serve in dual capacity as Rule of Law/Counterinsurgency advisor for one year deployment to Iraq.

Rule of Law advisor at the Nineveh Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) administered by the Department of State in Mosul, Iraq. Traveled in combat patrols throughout western Nineveh province visiting/supporting military and local police authorities to develop a judicial reform plan for prosecuting insurgents.

Special operations officer working in conjunction with British military authorities. Embedded with USMC Military Transition Team (MiTT) and 1st Iraq Army Division to re-establish contact with local sheiks in the al Quibla district of Basra during combat operations against Jaish al Mahdi (JAM) Militia.

August 1994 to May 2007
Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, Bedford County, Virginia

(December 1995 to May 2007);

Senior prosecuting attorney and law enforcement authority for all city, county, and state law enforcement officials in the County of Bedford. As chief deputy I was responsible for charging decisions, grand jury presentations, docketing of cases, and prosecution of all felonies.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, Botetourt County, Virginia (August 1994 to December 1995)

March 1991 to April 1994
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Norfolk Division, U. S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia / Senior Navy Prosecutor, Norfolk Naval Base (March 1992 to April 1994) Prosecuted robbery of U.S. warships at gunpoint; Senior navy prosecutor at Norfolk Naval Base; cases involving the looting and pillaging of Kuwait City, Kuwait. Lead prosecutor on two successfully contested murder trials.

June 1980 to July 1983
Infantry soldier with 1/13th, 8th INF. DIV., Baumholder Germany. Attended French Commando Training, rated expert in all small arms weapons, including 50 cal. machine gun.

Infantry soldier with 2/503rd INF. 101st AIRBORNE DIV. Involved in operations in Central America.

Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. (Master of Laws in National Security Law 2012)

T.C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia (Juris Doctorate 1990), Trial

Advocacy Award, International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia (Bachelor of Arts, History 1987), Cum Laude, Dean’s list, Alpha Chi; Phi Alpha Theta; Pi Gamma Mu Honor Societies; Historical Society.

Bar Admissions: Licensed to practice in Virginia, U.S. District Court in the Eastern and Western District of Virginia, U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Supreme Court.

Adjunct Professor College of Health Sciences, Roanoke, Virginia (1999-2002): Instruction in Legal Aspects of Health Systems Management, Critical Thinking and Ethical and Legal Decision Making in Health Care.

Adjunct Professor Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, Virginia (2006-2007): Instruction in Real Estate, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law.

VFW Member

Kiwanis

Bronze Star Medal

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Navy Commendation Medal (2x)

Navy Achievement Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal

Overseas Service Ribbon (4x)

National Defense Service Medal (2x)

Jungle Expert Qual.

Expert Rifle / Expert Pistol