A former chief of cardiology at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System pleaded guilty on March 8, to one felony count of abusive sexual contact, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, Northern District of California announced.

Atherton resident John Giacomini, 73, subjected a subordinate to unwanted sexual advances over a period of time beginning in the fall of 2017, which the DOJ said culminated on Dec. 20, 2017, when he turned out the lights in a room, pulled her from a chair, released the drawstring of her scrubs and fondled her breasts and other intimate areas. A janitor opened the door and interrupted the contact, prosecutors said.

The woman had "explicitly" told Giacomini on Nov. 10, 2017 that she was not interested in a romantic or sexual relationship with him, prosecutors said. She later resigned from her job, prosecutors said, citing the cardiologist's behavior as her principal reason for leaving.

Giacomini had previously held a faculty position at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He was a federal employee for more than 30 years and had undergone training on preventing workplace sexual harassment and sexual harassment, prosecutors said.

Giacomini was indicted in 2020. His sentencing is scheduled for July 12. He faces a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, restitution, supervised release and assessment, according to the DOJ.