Hidden Cameras Inside Macomb County Tanning Salon Prompts Lawsuit

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — A mother and daughter are suing a Southeast Michigan tanning salon, claiming they were recorded by hidden cameras while tanning naked inside the salon in February. The lawsuit, filed by the Ven Johnson Law Firm, also targets the 38-year-old man who reportedly installed the cameras.

The law firm announced Thursday in a news release that it had filed the lawsuit against the Chili Pepper's Tanning Salon franchise in Shelby Township and Brian Maciborski. Maciborski is accused in a criminal case of installing hidden cameras in the Shelby Township location, according to a report by C&G Newspapers.

Multiple attempts to reach Chili Pepper's Tannings for comment were unsuccessful. The Shelby Township location is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“My clients trusted Chili Pepper’s Tanning Salon to provide a clean, safe and secure environment,” said attorney Ven Johnson. “It’s sickening. This is a clear invasion of their privacy and so many others who used its services.”

The salon failed to detect the hole in the wall and the camera, according to the news release. The plaintiffs are a mother and daughter who were recorded by the hidden cameras while naked inside private rooms at the tanning salon, the law firm said.

An off-duty police officer, who was also a customer, discovered a small hole in the wall with a camera inside, according to the law firm. Upon further investigation, Shelby Township police reported there were two additional hidden cameras at the foot of other tanning beds in the space, C&G Newspapers reported at the time.

Since the discovery, Maciborski was arraigned in the 41-A District Court of Sterling Heights on three counts of eavesdropping and one count for possession of analogues, the law firm said. Maciborski had previously been convicted of eavesdropped and sentenced to probation, according to C&G Newspapers.

Chili Pepper’s fired a manger over the incident, according to the law firm.

Ven Johnson Law is seeking unspecified damages on behalf of the plaintiffs, including negligence, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress, it said in the news release.

The firm is encouraging other Chili Pepper’s Tanning Salon customers who witnessed anything unusual or who feel they may have been violated to contact the law firm.

“Reports indicate these cameras may have been positioned in the wall for over a year,” Johnson said. “Who knows how many people were victimized due to the negligence of the management at Chili Pepper’s Tanning Salon.”