A 57-year-old nurse anesthetist who once worked in Elk City, Oklahoma, now faces three felony counts of sexual battery after a string of complaints from hospital staff and a teenage intern. Court papers identify the man as Michael Ralls, who was fired by the Elk City hospital following an internal investigation and later moved to Crawfordsville, Iowa. Beckham County authorities say their probe is still active while the case moves through the courts.
According to KCII Radio, the investigation kicked off after a high-school intern reported receiving inappropriate messages in February. That complaint led investigators to interview hospital staff, where three female employees described their own encounters. An arrest warrant was issued on May 4, 2026, the same day charges were filed, and court documents list three felony counts of sexual battery. Prosecutors told KCII that a conviction on all counts could leave Ralls facing decades in prison.
What court filings say
Local reporting by KOCO outlines court documents that accuse Ralls of repeated unwanted touching and inappropriate comments while he worked at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. One coworker told investigators she was touched “50 or 60 times” between Nov. 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, KOCO reports. The outlet also notes that investigators found Ralls had worked in several states and that he was ultimately arrested in Illinois on the Oklahoma warrant, with help from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Allegations and workplace response
Court filings obtained by KSWO state that the intern first reported the alleged messages on Feb. 25, 2026. Follow-up interviews with three female employees describe incidents of unwanted touching, whispering, and moments when Ralls allegedly blocked staff from leaving rooms. KSWO reports that witnesses and corroborating text messages were part of the evidence reviewed, and that an internal inquiry by the hospital led to Ralls’ termination.
Legal implications
Beckham County prosecutors filed three felony sexual battery charges and told KCII Radio that a guilty verdict on all counts could translate into decades behind bars. The Beckham County Sheriff’s Office has said investigators are treating the allegations as a serious criminal matter while proceedings continue in district court.
Public records link to Crawfordsville
Federal aircraft and pilot records list a Michael Todd Ralls in Crawfordsville, Iowa, creating a public-record tie between that name and the community, according to the FAA aircraft registry. Those records align with reporting that Ralls relocated to Crawfordsville after his termination from the Elk City hospital.
The Beckham County investigation remains open, and authorities have asked anyone with additional information to contact the sheriff’s office, according to local coverage. Ralls is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, and upcoming filings are expected to clarify whether prosecutors will seek an indictment and when a trial might be set.
