A U.S. Border Patrol agent faces federal charges for placing a video camera inside a bathroom stall that went undetected for years and recorded an estimated 300 videos, officials said Monday.
Supervisory Agent Armando Gonzalez, 45, of El Cajon, was taken into custody and booked into jail Friday on two charges stemming from the discovery of a hidden camera in the women’s bathroom of the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station on Beyer Road.
In a complaint unsealed Monday, prosecutors claim the camera was placed in the drain sometime in July 2013.
The camera was set to automatically begin recording when someone entered the bathroom, officials said.
A female U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employee found the camera on Jan. 9 and reported it to authorities.
The complaint alleges one image stored on the camera shows Gonzalez installing the device. After a search of Gonzalez's office, investigators allege they found close to 170 images of naked women or those wearing only undergarments on a separate SD drive.
Federal prosecutors said Gonzalez faces one charge of video voyeurism and a charge of providing a false statement to authorities.
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When the agent was confronted with the recording device, he told investigators it had been in place for several days according to U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano.
The complaint alleges Gonzalez initially said he had placed the camera to monitor co-workers for illegal drug use.
Upon further inspection, investigators say they found around 300 videos and evidence the camera had been concealed for up to two years.
Defense attorney Jan Ronis spoke with reporters outside the federal courthouse in San Diego and would not answer questions about a missing computer hard drive, describing any discussion about mishandled evidence as speculation.
“He has a wife who, sadly, is ill,” Ronis said. “The family is doing the best they can.They’ve been aware of this for about 60 days. They’re coping.”
The judge ordered Gonzalez be held on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 19.
A CBP spokesman says Gonzalez has been placed on paid adminstrative leave. "The agency will review the latest developments to determine if any future changes to Gonzalez' employment status are warranted," he said in a statement.
