Gate City Man Convicted of Sending Threat to Hospital Staff

ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia man was convicted last week of making a threat in interstate commerce following a two-day trial and less than an hour of jury deliberations.

Austin Hale, 28, was convicted of one count of knowingly transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure Ballad Health hospital staff.

According to evidence presented at trial, on January 8, 2024, Hale sent a threatening message to Ballad Health in Johnson City, Tennessee via Ballad Health’s “Contact Us” webpage. In that message, Hale threated to “walk in to [Ballad’s] hospital and shoot the stafff [sic] . . . .”

When questioned by the FBI and asked why he thought they were at his home asking to speak with him, Hale responded that it was probably because of the “death threat” he sent to the hospital.

At sentencing, Hale faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Macon and Whit Pierce are prosecuting the case for the United States.