I’ve been away from the keyboard for a while, so I thought I would post a few updates as we begin the new year.
In 2020 we bid farewell to two pillars of the spy genre in both books and movies. Sean Connery passed on October 31 at the age of 90 (now I feel old) and John LeCarré on December 12, 2020, at 89.
Highlights of Sean Connery’s career.
[Read more]: https://www.bbc.com/
Credit…Tom Jamieson for The New York Times
[Read more] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/books/john-le-carre-dead.html
Voices in your head? They could actually be electronic.
An Israeli company, Noveto Systems, has debuted a device that can beam sound direct to the listener without the need for headphones. Over a decade ago I had witnessed a demonstration of audio projection using ultrasonic waves. It was a bit freaky, but lacked some quality and control. The new technology may evolve into something worth watching.
You can read more about it here: https://apnews.com/article/new-tech-device-sound-beaming-noveto
Or visit Noveto’s website: noveto.com
Small town eavesdropping concerns?
What makes the news in small towns? This Montana newspaper reports on “eavesdropping”… along with loose horses, dogs, puppies, and broken phones.
The Daily Inter Lake, January 16, 2021 12:00 AM
Eavesdropping traveler has no evidence
An observant traveler told the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office he overheard a fellow passenger on his flight talking about being involved in protests in Washington, D.C. and “making threatening statements toward law enforcement.” The caller allegedly checked the airport reader board to learn the suspect’s identity. He wanted to report the man for “domestic terrorism,” but law enforcement found there were multiple people with the same name, and there were “no threats toward law enforcement or indication this individual had committed any crime.”
Three horses — two tan, one mostly white — were reportedly loose near Airport Road. They eventually returned to their property.
In another loose animal case, a boxer puppy that was estimated to be less than a year old was spotted roaming in Somers. The caller left food out for the stray dog and said she would keep an eye out for it.
Meanwhile, in Kalispell, a dog that allegedly gets tangled up in its leash and barks on a regular basis was reported to the Sheriff’s Office. However, when officers checked the area, they didn’t find any dogs around.
A broken phone was turned in to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sounds like a busy day for the Flathead Sheriff’s office!
And some real eavesdropping news:
Lawsuit Against Dental Clinic for Cameras Found in Bathroom
Chicago, IL, Dec. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clifford Law Offices filed lawsuits on behalf of 11 individuals against Aspen Dental Clinic in Crestwood for two hidden cameras found in a unisex employees’ bathroom.
The lawsuits, which allege negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention of one of its employees who allegedly placed the two hidden cameras sometime in September 2020, until an employee discovered one of them on Oct. 22, 2020. The second camera in the bathroom was found a few days later by a female employee. The complaints also allege intrusion of seclusion under Illinois law.
The 11 lawsuits filed in Cook County Circuit Court represent dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and a dental marketing person who apparently were videotaped without their knowledge while using the clinic’s bathroom over an approximate three-week period.
The employee, a dental hygienist, is alleged to have placed the hidden cameras there and has been criminally charged for his actions. He apparently had a criminal record prior to his two-month employment at the Aspen Dental Clinic located at 13442 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood, but owners and supervisors there never conducted a proper or thorough background check of the employee prior to his hiring or during his employment there.
Things to note:
The first camera was found and reported to police. Management assured the employees that they would sweep the building for any other recording devices, but four days later another hidden camera was found in the same bathroom. The offender’s background had been flagged for criminal activity yet was still hired. Very expensive oversights. The workers are suing for at least $50,000 each.
From Dentistry Today:
“Recently, my work colleague found a hidden video recording device in the employee bathroom at that office. I quickly notified Aspen management and made a call to the Crestwood Police Department. The Police Department responded swiftly in reviewing the footage and making an arrest. It’s important that I thank the police for their efforts and professionalism at this time,” Jones said in a public statement.
“After this discovery, I was told by an Aspen corporate official that they were aware of the arrested co-employee’s prior criminal record, but nevertheless Aspen Dental hired him without attaining further details of this conviction. In essence, Aspen Dental rolled out the proverbial red carpet for this documented offender so that he could carry out his perverse actions amongst a predominantly female staff,” Jones said.
“Furthermore, the corporate executives assured us that they would sweep the building for any other recording devices, but four days after the initial camera was discovered, another hidden video recording device was found in that same bathroom, again by a fellow employee. It is clear that the assurances we were given were never followed up on to create a safe working environment,” added Jones.
School district combats voyeurism with do-it-yourself sweeps.
A basketball coach in New Brunswick, Canada, has 30 charges of child pornography and voyeurism brought against him covering a 4 year period.
Superintendent Gregg Ingersoll writes although there is no confirmation that visual recordings happened in Riverview schools, Anglophone East “shares these concerns” and as a precaution the district completed a sweep of all washrooms and changing areas.
He says the sweep was done by maintenance and IT staff in all Riverview schools, searching for any electronic or recording devices, as well as any areas where recording devices could potentially be hidden.
“This sweep of all areas resulted in no recording devices being found,” Ingersoll wrote.
The school district plans to continue sweeping these areas on a regular basis to make sure there are no places where devices can be hidden. Custodial staff will also be maintaining regular checks of these areas.
Well, I guess they didn’t think it was serious enough to hire professionals, or more likely they didn’t even realize that there are companies that can conduct sweeps professionally with proper tools and techniques.
In New York, another arrest for eavesdropping.
An area man has been arrested for allegedly installing a GPS device in order to eavesdrop and spy on a person who has an order of protection against him.
Dutchess County resident Brett M. Marinaccio, 33, of Hopewell Junction, was arrested on Monday, Jan. 4, by New York State Police, said Trooper AJ Hicks.
According to Hicks, an investigation determined Marinaccio utilized hidden GPS tracking devices with audio capabilities to eavesdrop on the victim while an order of protection was in place issued by the Dutchess County Family Court to protect the victim.
An inexpensive GPS tracker with microphone and cellular transmission.
Florida county administrator’s office was illegally bugged
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — The office of a Florida county administrator was illegally bugged last year, but investigators don’t yet know who was responsible.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the Pensacola News Journal that the agency was contacted Aug. 1 about a hidden recording device in the office of Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley.
The case was closed in late September when investigators couldn’t develop additional information, Plessenger said. “If we get more information, we’ll obviously continue to pursue it.”
Gilley told the newspaper she became concerned when details of private conversations became “mainstream” in the public. Gilley said she didn’t want to discuss what information was disclosed.
“I didn’t want to be overreacting, but it was recommended to me that we do a sweep,” Gilley said. “They did a sweep, and I was truly not expecting anything to be found. So I was extremely astonished and amazed when it was found.”
Additional sweeps were conducted on the fourth floor of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building where Gilley’s office is located, and in the offices of all five county commissioners and the county attorney, the newspaper reported. No other devices were found.