Trial delayed again for former Nexus employees; new date tentatively scheduled

AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - A trial in Augusta County for two former Nexus executives and a former employee of the company has been delayed for a sixth time.

Michael Donovan and Richard Moore had been scheduled for a week-long jury trial running Sept. 8-12, but that trial was postponed Tuesday during a pre-trial hearing in Augusta Circuit Court.

Donovan and Moore are charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretense as well as financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, both felonies. Meanwhile, former subordinate Timothy Shipe is charged with one count each of those same charges. The three men are accused of bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Zachary Cruz over a seven-year period.

Tim Martin, commonwealth’s attorney for Augusta County, confirmed Moore will be heading to a North Carolina prison to undergo a mental competency evaluation connected to his recent guilty plea on federal tax fraud charges. That could take up to 30 days, which means there’s a chance Moore would not be in Virginia for next month’s local trial.

After that, the men will be back in court Oct. 27 for a status hearing. A prospective new trial date has been reserved to start March 9, 2026, pending the outcome of the status hearing in the fall.