A former U.S. Border Patrol supervisor who illegally installed a hidden camera inside a women’s restroom at the Chula Vista station was sentenced Monday to 21 months in federal prison.
Armando Gonzalez, 47, was allowed to remain free on $50,000 bond, but must surrender by Jan. 22 to begin his sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego.
“I’m shocked by the facts in this case,” said Benitez, saying that Gonzalez committed “a violation of trust” with his “egregious conduct.”
Gonzalez’s attorney, Gretchen von Helms, told Benitez her client suffered from post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) from his work and also depression. Gonzalez lost his 20-year job after he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federal officer and seven misdemeanor counts of video voyeurism.
“He became emotionally detached…and it led to this behavior,” said von Helms. “This wasn’t done for sexual purpose.”
“Mr. Gonzalez, I don’t know about your PTSD,” said the judge. “I don’t understand how any of that relates to putting a camera in a bathroom where his subordinates work.”
All seven victims were federal employees who were photographed changing clothes or using the restroom from July 2013 to Jan. 9 when a Border Patrol employee spotted the camera in the floor drain.
The woman who found the camera told the judge the PTSD claim is “bull—-.” She said Gonzalez was her supervisor for four years, but “I knew it was him” after she found the camera, saying, “I always knew he was a pervert.”
“He’s sorry he got caught. I just want him locked away,” said the woman. “I don’t feel safe anymore. I’m afraid to use a public bathroom.”
Another woman who has been in law enforcement for 20 years and worked in that office said it showed “gross abuse of power” by Gonzalez.
“I am angry with feelings of resentment, betrayal, fear, anxiety. My sense of personal privacy is gone,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Both women said they feared that Gonzalez or someone he could have shared the videos with could place them on the Internet.
Von Helms said Gonzalez did not share the videos with anyone and he destroyed the hard drive on his computer.
“There is nothing on the Internet. There is nothing distributed,” she said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano said Gonzalez told officials “he smashed it in a dumpster somewhere.” She told the judge his conduct had nothing to do with PTSD.
Serano said Gonzalez committed obstruction of justice when he destroyed the hard drive. Von Helms said Gonzalez destroyed it before he was ever charged.
“It seems pretty clear to me he knew the hounds of justice were after him,” said Benitez, who made a comparison to a bank robber who throws a gun into a lake.
Serano urged the 21-month term, but von Helms recommended a 6-month stay with house arrest. Von Helms filed court papers that said it would be dangerous for Gonzalez to be in prison because other inmates who were arrested by the Border Patrol could attack him.
Benitez ordered Gonzalez to pay $2,934 in damages to one victim and $1,300 in restitution to another victim. He set a Dec. 21 restitution hearing for other victims and ordered him to pay a $275 penalty assessment fee.
“I definitely want to apologize. I can’t imagine how the (victims) feel,” said Gonzalez. “I’m extremely remorseful. I am not a career criminal. This is something I will not do again…I’m extremely upset with myself.”
U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy made this statement afterwards: “When Armando Gonzalez put a video camera down the drain of a women’s restroom, he also put his career, his honor, and his freedom down that drain. This is a fitting sentence for a man who sullied his badge with such despicable behavior.”
Gonzalez’s wife of 24 years filed for divorce, and his attorney wrote in court documents that he has lost most of his friends in law enforcement. He now works as a store parking lot attendant.
