Cyberstalking Of Hospital Workers By Fairfax Man Ends In Guilty Plea

FAIRFAX, VA — A 35-year-old Fairfax man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a federal cyberstalking charge for a series of sexually explicit and threatening text messages he sent in 2020 to two victims connected to a Baltimore-based hospital.

Michael Ghali admitted in court to sending messages in June 2020 to Victim M.B., after using an application that allowed him to acquire the phone numbers of people who didn't wish to have their name associated with a particular phone number.

At the same time, Ghali began sending a series of threatening emails to Victim H.B., who was the head of a medical department at a Baltimore-based hospital. The texts accused H.B. of sexually abusing minors and employees in the hospital's medical department. Ghali threatened to send photos of the abuse that he claimed to have to the media if H.B. did not resign from his position at the hospital, according to court documents.

H.B. knew Ghali, who had just finished a short medical rotation at the hospital. M.B had also worked at the hospital at the same time they were being harassed by Ghali, according to court documents.

M.B. contacted the Anne Arundel County Police Department and obtained a protective order that went into effect on July 7, 2020. After receiving an email from Ghali in which he threatened H.B's life and those of his grandchildren, H.B. hired a security detail to protect him. He also changed his surgical rotation and other schedules.

H.B. was aware that on Oct. 24, 2019 Ghali had been arrested by Fairfax County Police for repeatedly loading and unloading an AR-15 assault rifle outside Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, according to the facts reported in the case.

On Dec. 4, 2019, the plaintiff in the Fairfax County case opted not to prosecute Ghali, who was facing a felony charge of brandishing a firearm on or near a school, according to court records. The hospital obtained a restraining order and a preliminary injunction against Ghali on H.B.'s behalf.

Executing a search warrant on Aug. 25, 2020, police seized three boxes of .44 caliber ammunition from Ghali's residence, as well as a number of electronic devices and two Apple iPhones, according to law enforcement. A .22LR caliber semi-automatic firearm, a 10-round capacity magazine, and additional ammunition were also seized by federal law enforcement.

A review of Ghali's phone revealed a social media page that he had created to post photos of individuals, including M.B. Some of the images of M.B. had sexually explicit captions, according to court records.

Ghali admitted in his Aug. 28, 2020 plea agreement that he obtained another Apple iPhone in violation of the protective orders that were in place and began sending new messages and emails to the two victims. He also admitted to posting sexually explicit and threatening messages to M.B. on one of his social media pages.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III scheduled Ghali's sentencing for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 28. On the cyberstalking charge, Ghali faces a minimum sentence of one year and a maximum sentence of five years in prison.