Former Roanoke City Council candidate Jamaal Jackson faces four felony charges of election fraud after a grand jury indicted him last week.

Jackson, who ran as a Democrat in 2024, withdrew from the party primary after concerns surfaced over his campaign filings. According to the indictments, Jackson “did unlawfully and feloniously commit election fraud by willfully making a material false statement on a form required by Title 24.2 of the Code of Virginia” on or about March 17, 2024.

Jackson is the lead pastor and founder of ReFreshing Church, which recently purchased a historic church property on Carroll Avenue Northwest. Court records show he was released on a $1,500 bond and reported earning $500 a week through self-employment.

In May 2024, Jackson had announced plans to exit the race following an allegation that his campaign copied voter signatures from his unsuccessful 2022 run onto 2024 paperwork. However, he later went silent and remained officially listed on the ballot. On June 18, the day of the primary, Jackson formally withdrew at the city election office, but still finished last among four candidates.

At the time, Roanoke Registrar Andrew Cochran had forwarded the complaint to law enforcement, also noting that Jackson lacked enough qualified signatures to appear on the ballot initially.

This is not Jackson’s first election-related issue. During his 2022 campaign, he was fined $3,100 by the registrar’s office for finance reporting problems, though Jackson contested the penalty.

An April 24 hearing is scheduled for the current charges. Jackson, when reached by text Tuesday, directed questions to his attorney, Cathy Reynolds, who could not be reached for comment.

Jackson is the second local candidate recently charged with election fraud. Blacksburg Town Councilman Liam Watson, elected in 2023 as a write-in, faces separate charges related to his listed place of residence. His trial is set for July 14.