A Belleview man who posted illegal video recordings on his YouTube channel, which depicted the interiors of several Social Security offices in the Central Florida area, has been fined and sentenced to probation.
On Monday, January 6, following a bench trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd found 51-year-old Belleview resident George Douglas Metz guilty of unlawfully recording video and failing to comply with official signs and directives inside multiple Social Security field offices.
A second man – Joshua Joseph Gray, 45, of New Smyrna Beach – was also found guilty of the same charges.
Metz and Gray were each sentenced to pay a $3,000 fine serve six months’ probation. They were charged on November 28, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, on various dates between November 2022 and January 2023, Metz and Gray each entered three different Social Security field offices in Central Florida. While inside, they both continued to record video footage despite being informed by signage and Social Security representatives that video recording is prohibited on the premises without prior permission.
Metz and Gray were informed that the video recording rules are in place to protect the privacy of customers who visit the Social Security offices to conduct business and exchange personal information.
After the illegal video footage was recorded, Metz and Gray proceeded to post the videos on their public YouTube channels, where they were paid for their videos. The footage depicted members of the public and workers inside the Social Security offices.
This case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.