A routine visit to a Rockville Centre wellness center turned into a police case when a customer spotted what she believed was a hidden recording device in a massage therapy room, triggering an investigation that ended with an arrest on Friday. The business owner was taken into custody, and investigators say they later identified additional victims and uncovered evidence that the location was offering illegal massages. Detectives are asking anyone who thinks they may have been recorded to contact the Nassau County Police Department’s First Squad at 516-573-6153; callers will remain anonymous.
Business Listings Tie Owner To Storefront
The storefront at 78 North Village Avenue is listed online as Kokoro Wellness, and the practice's website identifies Luke Unneland as a clinician at that address, according to Kokoro Wellness. Public clinician directories, including Psychology Today, also list Unneland as working out of the same Rockville Centre location.
Police: Customer’s Spot Leads To Owner’s Arrest
Nassau County police said detectives arrested 38-year-old owner Luke Unneland on Friday after a 32-year-old customer noticed what appeared to be a recording device on a wall inside a massage therapy room, and investigators later identified three additional victims, according to News 12. Officers also alleged the location was offering illegal massages, and 35-year-old Daniela Cespedes Almonacid was arrested on a charge of unauthorized practice of a profession. News 12 reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Almonacid into custody after her arrest. Police told News 12 that Unneland was scheduled for arraignment Saturday at the First District Court in Hempstead.
What The Charges Mean Under State Law
Under New York law, secretly recording someone in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy can be charged as unlawful surveillance in the second degree, a class E felony, while separate statutes address dissemination of unlawful-surveillance images, according to the New York State Senate. Penal Law §250.45 outlines the kinds of surreptitious imaging that can trigger felony charges. These statutes provide the legal framework prosecutors use in hidden-camera investigations, and exact charges and penalties will depend on the evidence gathered.
Local Context: Other Hidden-Camera Prosecutions
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office has pursued other unlawful-surveillance cases, including a 2025 indictment of a former sleep-center employee accused of installing a hidden camera inside a smoke detector at a Manhasset facility, according to a Nassau County District Attorney press release. That prosecution, along with others involving cameras at tanning salons and medical facilities, has been used to highlight how investigators track digital evidence and bring charges once victims are identified. Prosecutors have credited joint work with the Nassau County Police Department and partner agencies in moving those cases forward.
If You Think You Were Recorded
Detectives investigating the Rockville Centre case are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim to call the Nassau County Police Department's First Squad at 516-573-6153; News 12 reported that callers will remain anonymous. Victims and witnesses can also contact the Nassau County District Attorney’s office for information about victim services and prosecutorial options. For reference, arraignments in these matters are handled at the First District Court in Hempstead, which is located at 99 Main Street, according to the New York State Unified Court System.
