I-Team: Employees Arraigned On Wiretapping Charges For Planting Hidden Camera At Work
BOSTON (CBS) - Three human resources employees at Wyman-Gordon in Grafton faced a judge on Friday, arraigned on felony wiretapping charges for setting up a hidden camera with audio inside their workplace.
Matthew Domenico, Brian Gaudette and Eric Smith entered a plea of not guilty. They were released on personal recognizance.
As the I-Team first reported in November, the hidden camera allegedly captured former Wyman-Gordon employee Mark Ferguson sleeping on the job. The company fired Ferguson last April.
However, prior to his termination, Ferguson had discovered the hidden camera in his work space and taken it home for a closer look.
A clip he provided to the I-Team revealed the HR employees setting up the camera. They could also be heard discussing the camera placement.
Ferguson realized if they recorded audio without his consent, it could be a violation of Massachusetts wiretapping statute. He brought the camera to the Grafton Police Department, which launched an investigation.
Following a hearing on January 14, a clerk magistrate determined there was enough probable cause to move forward with the criminal charges.
According to court documents the I-Team obtained, Smith and Gaudette placed the hidden camera at the request of their supervisor, Domenico.
The camera was examined by a forensic technician at the New England States Police Information Network, which reportedly recovered video files from the device.
Ferguson, who filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, is fighting to get his job back. He argues the evidence used to fire him was gathered illegally.
Ryan Kath can be contacted at rkath@cbs.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.
