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Aspiring Secret Service agent Joel Canvasser, aged 41, finds himself embroiled in legal trouble following his arrest on charges of unlawful eavesdropping, as reported by ABC News. The incident unfolded in Brunswick, Georgia, casting a shadow over the prestigious Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where Canvasser was honing his skills.
The arrest, which took place on a Wednesday, stems from allegations that Canvasser engaged in espionage against his roommate, who is also a Secret Service trainee. The alleged eavesdropping occurred over a month-long period, from March 8 to April 8, according to the Glynn County Police Department. Canvasser now faces a serious felony charge.
The situation came to light when Canvasser’s roommate, identified as Cade, reported suspicious activity to authorities at the training facility. Cade became aware of something amiss when he noticed his phone charger had disappeared around March 8. When confronted about the missing item, Canvasser reportedly suggested that the charger might have been taken by someone else.
In a twist, Canvasser later provided Cade with a replacement charger, an action that only deepened the mystery surrounding the original disappearance. The police report outlines these details, adding an intriguing layer to an already complex case.
Afterward, police say Canvasser gave Cade another charger.
About a week after Cade began using the new charger, the report states he started receiving “odd test messages” from various numbers, which he believed were spam.
When going to Canvasser for help with his phone, the report says Cade found it odd that it had automatically connected to Canvasser’s Wi-Fi after being reset, since he reportedly had never connected to the network before.
The report says the “odd text messages” Cade was receiving then stopped, but returned around a week later.
“There was a specific instance where Mr. Cade was using the bathroom and his phone was in his pocket,” the report states. “When he finished, he checked his phone and saw a message referencing him using the bathroom. It was at this point that Mr. Cade realized the individual was not watching hum through his phone camera, but instead from another device.”
Cade then found that the charging block he had received from Canvasser was a camera, according to the report.
“He realized this because when he had pulled it out of the wall, the light hit the device in such a way that made the lens visible,” the report states.
Canvasser was arrested later Wednesday. According to ABC News, he has since been released from jail on an $8,458 bond.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn shared the following statement to ABC News regarding the incident:
“On April 8, disturbing facts involving a Secret Service trainee assigned to a special agent training class at FLETC in Glynco, Georgia, were brought to light. An initial investigation by the Secret Service and FLETC led to the individual’s arrest by local authorities. The charges are deeply troubling and raise significant concerns about the individual’s character and fitness to serve. As this matter is now before the courts, we will allow the facts to be presented through the judicial process. We commend the swift actions of Secret Service trainers and FLETC personnel, whose prompt response ensured the matter was quickly brought forward and addressed through appropriate legal channels.”