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An Emmy award-winning journalist finds himself in hot water after being accused of secretly recording individuals in a local Oklahoma TV station’s dressing rooms.
Darrell Lee Vannostran, 40, was taken into custody for allegedly using photo or video equipment to clandestinely capture footage in a private setting. The photographer and editor, who garnered multiple Heartland TV Emmy Awards last year, now faces serious allegations.
Court records accessed by The Oklahoman reveal that janitorial staff stumbled upon two hidden cameras in KWTV News 9’s private dressing room areas in downtown Oklahoma City.
Authorities apprehended Vannostran at his residence in Moore, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
The extent of the surveillance remains uncertain, as investigators have yet to determine whether the cameras captured footage of guests or employees at the station. However, The Oklahoman reports that the recordings do show individuals in “various states of undress.”
The cameras were attached by Velcro underneath clothing racks, investigators said.
“A review of the extracted video footage confirmed the cameras had been active and had recorded multiple subjects who used the dressing room areas in private settings,” the affidavit states, according to The Oklahoman.
News 9’s main office and studios are located in the Century Center building in downtown Oklahoma City at 100 W Main Street. The building, as pictured on Friday, July 18, 2025, is at the corner of Sheridan and Robinson. (Jessie Christopher Smith/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
According to The Oklahoman, following the discovery of the hidden cameras, police launched an investigation and began analyzing the video.
Investigators discovered that the cameras being repositioned on two different occasions and accessed multiple times that were timestamped, the outlet reported.
The timestamps and dates allowed police to narrow down to one suspect – later identified as Vannostran.
Authorities, the outlet said, allege that Vannostran was inside the news station when not scheduled to work, entered the building and staying less than 45 minutes and allegedly making connections to the hidden cameras within the timeframes under investigation.
Oklahoma City is the capital of Oklahoma. (iStock)
On Tuesday, Vannostran was arrested at his home in Moore, Oklahoma. He was still in custody at the Oklahoma County jail on Tuesday on a $25,000 bond.
“Griffin Media is aware of the arrest of our former employee Darrell Vannostran,” Houston Hunt, the vice president of marketing at Griffin Media, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our priority is the safety and privacy of our employees.”
“When the devices were discovered, we immediately contacted the police and have been cooperating fully with their investigation. We are very appreciative of the dedicated, hard work by the members of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Because this is a personnel matter, we can’t comment further.”
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