ST. LOUIS — A disgruntled ex-employee of a Chesterfield health clinic pleaded guilty to a federal identity theft charge Tuesday and admitted sending emails to job applicants telling them that their names were too “ghetto,” the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Christopher Crivolio, 47, sent the emails in August of 2018 using the name of a nurse practitioner at Mantality Health, prosecutors said. Crivolio worked at Mantality but had been terminated, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said "numerous" applicants received an email from Crivolio that said, “Thank you for your interest in careers at Mantality Health. Unfortunately we do not consider candidates that have suggestive 'ghetto' names. We wish the best in your career search.”

The emails triggered multiple news stories and resulted in social media criticism and harassing phone calls to Mantality. The nurse practitioner's name and address were also posted by critics online, forcing her to temporarily move and send her child to live with relatives, prosecutors said. No one at Mantality authorized Crivolio to use the employee’s name or send the emails, a FBI investigation revealed.

Crivolio's lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.