Brookline court officials have issued an arrest warrant for Ming-Chi “Mike” Chen, the CEO of a Taiwanese manufacturing firm, after police alleged he secretly recorded a woman in the shower without her consent while staying at a Chestnut Hill home in 2024. The warrant was reported in October 2026, though the underlying incident dates back two years.
According to Universal Hub, which cited reporting from Brookline.news, Brookline police secured the warrant following an investigation into the Chestnut Hill incident, with the arrest warrant concerning the CEO of a Taiwanese company. The report was filed under the outlet's Elections section and centers on Chestnut Hill, where the alleged recording took place.
What Massachusetts Law Says About Secret Recordings
If Chen is ever prosecuted, he would face charges under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272, Section 105(b), which makes it a crime to secretly photograph, videotape, or electronically surveil a nude or partially nude person without consent, according to the Law Offices of Stephen Neyman. For the basic nonconsensual recording scenarios, the statute carries a penalty of up to 2.5 years in a house of correction or a fine of up to $5,000. Massachusetts law defines “partially nude” specifically as the non-consensual exposure or recording of genitals, the pubic area, buttocks, or female breasts below the top of the areola, per the Massachusetts Criminal Attorney resource, meaning prosecutors would need to show the alleged victim met that statutory threshold.
Should any audio have been captured alongside video, additional exposure exists under the state's law against secret recordings. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272, Section 99 makes secret audio recording a felony punishable by up to five years in state prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Serpa Law Office. A recording is not secret when all parties know it is being made, even without their consent. The statute also provides a private civil remedy for unlawfully intercepted, disclosed, or used communications, including financial damages and attorney fees, per the Sheehan law firm.
How Extradition Is Governed
Extradition is generally governed by treaties and by the laws of the country where a fugitive is found, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The Alleged Chestnut Hill Incident
Chestnut Hill is where the alleged 2024 incident involving Chen took place.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Hidden Camera Cases
The Chen case also arrives amid a wider pattern of hidden-camera prosecutions nationally. Hoodline reported on a Land O'Lakes man accused of hiding cameras to film family members undressing, and a separate Hoodline report detailed a Kenner sign shop owner facing three counts for allegedly hiding a camera in a bathroom.
For now, the warrant against Ming-Chi Chen remains outstanding, and whether he ever appears in a Brookline courtroom remains uncertain.
