A criminal case for using an alias in a newspaper ad was dropped against a candidate for Roanoke City Council, according to this report.

Brian Wishneff, the ghost writer of a campaign ad that used the alias “Joe Smith” to attack his opponent in last year’s Roanoke City Council election, is no longer facing criminal charges.

A judge dismissed two misdemeanors Thursday at the request of both Wishneff’s attorney and special prosecutor John Alexander.

Wishneff’s legal team had mounted an aggressive attack on the prosecution’s rare use of campaign finance laws. But Alexander said he was most swayed by a $3,700 civil penalty recently issued by the state board of elections against the former city councilman. That was punishment enough, he decided.