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Michael Ghali, 35, will face up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to cyberstalking a woman he knew from church and then threatening head of a medical department at a Maryland medical facility.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in June 2020, Ghali sent "Victim M.B.," an acquaintance he met at church, a series of unwanted messages using an app that allows users to acquire phone numbers to people who don't want their information out there.
At the same time, Ghali sent "Victim H.B." a series of emails intended for the purpose of threatening "H.B." by accusing him of sexually abusing employees and minors, alleging that he had photos to back up his claims.
Ghali demanded "H.B." resign from the position at the hospital, threatening to go to the press with the purportedly incriminating photos.
At the time Ghali was targeting "H.B.," prosecutors noted that "M.B." also worked at the hospital.
However, Ghali overplayed his hand, and "M.B." reached out to the Anne Arundel County Police Department to obtain a protective order that became effective on July 7, 2020.
In response to Ghali's threatening emails, some of which targeted his life and his grandchildren, "H.B." hired a professional security detail and was forced to change his surgical and other schedules.
According to prosecutors, further investigation found that Ghali had been charged in Fairfax a year earlier while brandishing an AR-15 within 1,000 feet of a school.
Two weeks later, on July 21, 2020, the hospital obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Ghali on behalf of the employee.
During a search of his home in August that year, multiple weapons and ammo was recovered.
A review of two seized Apple iPhones also found a social media page Ghali created in which he posted photos of individuals, including "M.B." Several images of her with sexually explicit captions were located on the page.
Ghali went on to purchase another iPhone - in violation of the protective orders - and began to again pester both hospital workers until he was later arrested and charged.
When he is sentenced, Ghali will face a mandatory minimum of one year in prison and maximum of five years behind bars for cyberstalking.
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