A former employee of travel giant Expedia Group Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE) is facing four counts of voyeurism after hidden cameras were found in two Expedia bathrooms in both December and January.
Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez, a 42-year-old Lynnwood resident, was arrested on Feb. 1 after surveillance videos, eyewitness accounts and a search warrant led police to suspect he had placed hidden cameras under the sinks in the two bathrooms. His bond is set at $200,000.
"The defendant placed spy cameras specifically aimed at the toilet in all-gender single occupancy restrooms, allowing him to view the private use and genitalia of restroom users," Leesa Manion, the prosecuting attorney, wrote in a case summary filed Feb. 5 in King County Superior Court. "At the time of this filing, law enforcement has observed at least 10 distinct victims visible in the defendant’s illegal footage. It is reasonable to believe that several more victims have yet to be discovered, given the large volume of seized electronic evidence pending law enforcement review."
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Seattle Police Department, an Expedia employee first discovered the cameras in the two bathrooms on Dec. 4. The employee alerted security, which Expedia contracts through the firm Securitas. The cameras were gone the next day.
The employee who discovered them assumed security had removed them, according to the affidavit, but later learned security had not, leaving the employee "upset and worried." Security personnel didn't remove the cameras because "they thought it was a music device or a battery backup for the soap dispensers."
On Jan. 11, a different Expedia employee discovered hidden devices in the same two bathrooms, according to the affidavit. Security contacted the police, which triggered a review of security footage outside the bathrooms. Employees said Vargas-Fernandez tried to return to the bathrooms twice after the cameras were discovered and the bathrooms were closed off. A search warrant for Vargas-Fernandez's Amazon order history revealed he had bought two spy cameras in October.
After his arrest, the affidavit notes Vargas-Fernandez admitted to using spy cameras to surveil his ex-wife in her own home while going through their divorce. Between his apartment and car, police found 33 spy cameras, 22 SD cards and individually packaged used women's underwear.
"We are committed to protecting the privacy, safety, and security of our employees and guests at our offices," an Expedia Group spokesperson said in a statement. "The employee is no longer employed by Expedia Group. We continue to take this matter very seriously and are working closely with the appropriate authorities."
If Vargas-Fernandez posts bail, prosecutors are requesting electronic home detention, no contact with victims, no permission to return to Expedia, no access to cameras and no internet access without a computer monitoring system.
Vargas-Fernandez's arraignment is set for Feb. 15. His lawyer, Charles Varni, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A search for Vargas-Fernandez didn't yield results on LinkedIn.
Expedia had 17,100 employees at the end of last year. The company generated $12.8 billion in revenue last year, up from $11.7 billion in 2022. CEO Peter Kern, who has led the company since April 2020, is stepping down in May. Ariane Gorin, currently president of Expedia for Business, is taking over the CEO role.
