A Cumberland, WI man has been placed on a $10,000 signature bond by Barron County Circuit Court regarding his multiple felony charges stemming from an investigation that revealed that he had allegedly placed a spy camera in a tanning room in the Sunshine Fitness and Tanning Salon located in Cumberland, WI.
A press release was issued by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on May 25, 2018, stating that after the execution of a search warrant, Randy Schamberger of Cumberland, WI, had been taken into custody on charges of Invasion of Privacy and a felony charge of Representations Depicting Nudity.
According to a criminal complaint filed against Schamberger, a patron of the Sunshine Fitness and Tanning Salon noticed what she thought was a USB phone charger plugged into a wall outlet in one of the tanning rooms when she was preparing to utilize the tanning room on April 5, 2018. The complaint states that the woman took the device home assuming it had been left behind by another patron. When she looked at the device closer, she and her husband realized it was a covert digital camera device with an internal mini SD memory card.
The woman reported this to the Cumberland Police Department who then conducted an investigation into the matter. After reviewing the data contained on the device, investigating officers discovered that the device appeared to be motion activated and had recorded video images of several female patrons in various stages of undressing and dressing inside the tanning room.
A review of internal business video cameras installed at the Sunshine Fitness and Tanning Salon along with sign-in records revealed that a male had utilized that same tanning room just before 9p on April 4, 2018, the evening before the device was discovered. This male was later identified as Schamberger.
The first video image that was captured by the device was shortly before 10p on April 4, 2018. At least 8 female patrons were captured on video by the device as they utilized the tanning room; with the device recording nude or partially nude video images of the females. After the females were identified, they were interviewed by investigating officers and they all confirmed that they had not given anyone permission to capture any still or video images of them either clothed, partially nude, or completely nude.
Investigating officers obtained a search warrant for Schamberger’s residence and during the execution of the search warrant, officers retrieved two iPads, and several SD cards and electronic devices as well as a USB charger.
The criminal complaint goes on to state that on May 23, 2018, officers interviewed Schamberger, who at first denied owning any type of spy camera. A review of his electronic devices enabled officers to view his online purchase history, which showed that he had purchased a device from Amazon in October 2017 that was identical to the one located in the tanning room.
Schamberger then admitted to the purchase and went on to admit that on at least 2 or 3 different occasions he had placed the camera in a tanning room at Sunshine Fitness. He would then retrieve the camera and bring it back to his residence where he would download the images, either to an iPad or to his phone. He then viewed the images, deleting them after. According to Schamberger, the first time that he placed the camera in a tanning room at Sunshine Fitness was in March 2018.
The press release from Barron County Sheriff’s Department also states that if law enforcement is able to identify any other individuals that may have been recorded without their knowledge, they will contact those individuals.
Schamberger also provided investigating officers with a rough sketch indicating where he had installed the spy camera in the electrical outlet in the tanning room.
The criminal complaint filed against Schamberger charges him with 7 counts of Class I Felony Capture an Intimate Representation, 2 counts of Class I Felony Attempt to Capture an Intimate Representation, and 1 count of Misdemeanor Invade Privacy-Use Surveillance Device. If convicted as charged Schamberger faces a possible sentence of 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for each Class I Felony count as well as 9 months possible imprisonment for the charge of Misdemeanor invade Privacy-Use Surveillance Device.
Online circuit court records show that Schamberger made an initial appearance in Barron County Circuit Court on May 25, 2018. The Court placed Schamberger on a $10,000 signature bond with conditions that he must be fingerprinted at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department, and have no contact with any Sunshine Fitness Center location or with any of the females identified in the images. Schamberger is due to appear again in June 2018 for a preliminary examination hearing on his felony charges.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: May 27, 2018 9:44 am CDT
