Lynnwood man sentenced over placing spy cameras in Expedia bathrooms

Published 5:20 pm Friday, January 9, 2026

EVERETT — A King County Superior Court judge sentenced a former Expedia worker to four years in prison Friday. The Lynnwood man was convicted of 14 felonies in connection with spy cameras placed in bathrooms at Expedia offices in Seattle.

This comes after he pleaded guilty to 14 counts of first-degree voyeurism and two counts of a misdemeanor violation of a sexual assault protection order on Dec. 1.

Around 3 p.m. Dec. 4, 2023, an Expedia vanpool decided to use the bathroom at the company’s Seattle campus at 1111 Expedia Group Way W before driving other employees home, according to court documents. While in the bathroom, he noticed a white box with a cell phone-like device attached to it under the sink

The man reportedly got scared when he saw his face reflected in the camera lens of the device and reported the device to some of his colleagues and security, court documents said. Security confirmed the device was in both bathrooms, but did not remove them at the time because they thought they were a music device or battery backup for the soap dispensers.

The next day, the employee went back to the bathroom to check for the device, court documents said. When he couldn’t find them, he assumed security took the devices.

Around 1 p.m. Jan. 11, 2024, a colleague alerted the van driver that the devices were back in the bathrooms, court documents said. The man had his colleague guard the door while he got “out of order” signs for the bathrooms and alerted security.

The van pool driver told security about a suspicious man, later identified as Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez, 44, who tried twice to use both bathrooms while the employees kept watch, court document said. When security questioned Vargas-Fernandez, he said he had not been by those bathrooms. Seattle police retrieved the devices.

Security footage obtained by Seattle detectives showed Vargas-Fernandez entering the bathrooms holding what appeared to be the devices the morning of Jan. 11, court documents said. Footage on the devices showed at least 10 people using the bathroom.

Police also obtained Vargas-Fernandez’s Amazon order history, which showed he purchased multiple “spy” cameras, court documents said.

On Feb. 1, 2024, police arrested Vargas-Fernandez outside his Lynnwood apartment, court documents said. A search of his vehicle and residence revealed 33 spy cameras with various levels of concealment, 22 SD cards, six hard drives with at least 20 terabytes of storage capability and used women’s underwear.

In a police interview, Vargas-Fernandez denied involvement with the cameras found in the Expedia bathrooms and said the spy cameras were for personal protection and to surveil his ex-wife in her own home when they were going through a divorce, court documents said. He told police the underwear were gifts.

In October, Vargas-Fernandez violated the terms of a sexual assault protection order after he attempted to contact an ex-partner multiple times, court documents said. The ex-partner was also a victim in the voyeurism case.

Vargas-Fernandez filmed 14 people with hidden cameras, according to amended charges.

Based on sentencing ranges set by state lawmakers, he faced a sentence of 43 to 57 months, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said in an email. The counts run concurrently under state law.

Prosecutors requested 48 months in prison with 12 months of community custody in exchange for the defendant entering 14 felony guilty pleas.

During the sentencing Friday, Judge Janet Helson sentenced Vargas-Fernandez to 48 months in prison and 12 months of community custody with the Department of Corrections, McNerthney said.

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan