Son of Buc-ee's Co-Founder Indicted on 21 Counts for What Allegedly Happened in a Bathroom
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
The son of a co-founder of the popular Buc-ee’s travel center and gas station chain is facing a set of disturbing criminal charges.
A grand jury in Travis County, Texas, indicted Mitchell Wasek on 21 counts of invasive visual recording, according to KDFW-TV.
The indictment accuses the 28-year-old defendant of repeatedly recording guests in the bathroom of his family’s home in Spicewood — about 30 miles northwest of Austin — without their knowledge.
Thirteen separate victims were allegedly recorded by Wasek over the course of two years.
INDICTED 🚨 | A Travis County grand jury charged 28-year-old Mitchell Wasek, the son of a co-founder of Texas-based gas station chain Buc-ee’s, with 21 counts of invasive visual recording.
READ MORE: https://t.co/iqZHDTqgdo pic.twitter.com/Vikzqrb4aV— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) May 30, 2024
He was arrested in the matter in October, according to KXAN-TV in Austin.
A party guest at the Wasek home discovered a hidden camera lodged in a charging port, according to police.
Witnesses later examined the micro-card from the device and found footage of unknowing guests using the bathroom and undressing.
KDFW quoted an affidavit as saying the videos “showed individuals were recorded using toilets, showering, changing clothes, and/or having sex.”
Court documents said Wasek purchased spy cameras and other recording devices online.
Travis County prosecutors said the grand jury returned six different indictments against Wasek on May 17, according to KXAN.
“The Travis County District Attorney’s Office takes the work of presenting all facts and evidence to a grand jury very seriously,” District Attorney José Garza said of the charges, according to KDFW.
“In this case, a group of independent Travis County community members heard the evidence and law and decided that Mr. Wasek’s conduct was unlawful,” Garza said.
Wasek is the son of Donald Wasek, who co-founded the iconic Buc-ees chain in 1982.
An attorney for the younger Wasek defended his client’s right to place cameras within his own home in a statement provided to KXAN.
“Due to the ubiquitousness of video recording in modern society, this case involves the legal right to install cameras in one’s own home,” David Gonzalez said of the situation.
“May a homeowner install a camera in his home without telling housekeepers or guests, or does the guest have a greater legal right than the homeowner?” he said.
“This is one of many thorny legal issues we will be litigating in this case.”
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