U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd has found Joshua Joseph Gray, 45, of New Smyrna Beach, and George Douglas Metz, 51, of Belleview, guilty of unlawfully video recording and failing to comply with official signs inside multiple Social Security field offices. Both were sentenced to pay a $3,000 fine and serve six months of probation.
Gray and Metz were charged in an Information on November 28, 2023, following a bench trial. Evidence presented at trial showed that between November 2022 and January 2023, the two men entered three different Social Security offices in Central Florida and began recording video. Despite being informed by official signage and Social Security representatives that video recording is prohibited without prior permission, the pair continued to record.
The video recordings, which captured members of the public and Social Security representatives conducting business, were later posted on their public YouTube channels. Both men profited from the videos and solicited donations from viewers. The recordings violated the privacy protections of customers who come to Social Security offices to handle personal matters.
The case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro prosecuted the case.
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