A New Smyrna Beach man was one of two men convicted in a federal bench trial of unlawfully recording video inside multiple Social Security field offices and posting the videos on their YouTube channels, according to a release Monday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Orlando.
Joshua Joseph Gray, 45, of New Smyrna Beach, and George Douglas Metz, 51, of Belleview, were found guilty of unlawfully video recording and failing to comply with official signs and directives inside Social Security field offices, according to the release.
U. S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd found them guilty and sentenced Gray and Metz each to serve six-months probation. They each must also pay a $3,000 fine.
Gray was also known as “Phocion Thegood” and Metz as “Major Lee Awesome,” according to a federal charging document.
Gray and Metz were charged on November 28, 2023.
Between November 2022 and January 2023, Gray and Metz each entered three different Social Security field offices in Central Florida while video recording, according to federal prosecutors.
Gray and Metz continued to video record despite being informed by Social Security representatives that video recording was prohibited in the offices without prior permission, according to federal prosecutors. There were also official signs warning them not to record.
They were told that the video recording rules were to protect the privacy of customers at the offices.
Gray and Metz went on to post their video recordings on their public YouTube channels in which they showed members of the public and Social Security representatives conducting business, according to federal prosecutors.
Gray and Metz were paid for their videos on YouTube and solicited donations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Protective Service and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: New Smyrna Beach man convicted, posted illegal recordings on YouTube