PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — An employee of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Administration (PEMA) is facing charges after she allegedly taped a recording device to her coworker's desk in an attempt to get information.
Emily Houdeshell, 50, of Camp Hill is facing charges after she allegedly hid a recording device in an attempt to get information that she could use against a coworker, according to a criminal complaint. In August of 2023, officers from the Pennsylvania Capitol Police were informed of a PEMA employee who had discovered a USB-disguised recording device on her desk.
The employee was an administration officer for one of the departments and told police that she had come into work and found it duct-taped to her desk. She added that she checked her email to see if someone had messaged her about it leaving it on her desk, but found nothing. The woman then tried to plug it into her computer, but the computer failed to recognize it, according to the complaint.
The woman was able to find the device on her computer and realized it was an audio recording device and listened to a few clips. She noted that the few files she listened to were her coming into her office and having a work-related phone call. The woman then went to Houdeshell because she had previously mentioned using a similar device against her ex-husband.
Houdeshell allegedly denied putting it on her desk and then snapped it in half and threw it away, according to the affidavit.
In a preliminary interview with Houdeshell, she allegedly admitted that the device belonged to her and that she destroyed it because there were personal conversations on it.
Police obtained a search warrant for the device and once that was granted they found it had 680 recordings on it, according to the affidavit. Among the recordings were conversations of both personal and professional nature. The coworker whose desk it was taped to was allegedly heard having work calls about presentations, audits, timekeeping, and personal ones which included making payments over the phone.
In October of 2024, officers spoke with Houdeshell again and this time she said that she "probably" did it, but claimed that she does not recall as she was drinking heavily at the time and taking medications for ADHD and anxiety, according to the complaint. She allegedly told officers she had frequent blackouts during that time and had trouble recalling certain periods of time.
In that interview, she again told police she "probably" did it as during that time she wanted to get her coworker to admit things that she could use against her, according to the affidavit. She allegedly told officers she did it because she was jealous and thought she was being treated unfairly.
Houdeshell was arraigned and released on unsecured bail. She is facing felony charges of intercepting communications and misdemeanor charges of tampering with evidence.
She has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 21.