WALNUT CREEK, CA — A Walnut Creek man was sentenced to two years in prison and at least three years of parole in a case surrounding his use of hidden cameras in a local Starbucks.
Steven John Novelli, 55, must also register as a sex offender for 10 years after he was found guilty in a case that involved Novelli hiding cameras in the restroom at Starbucks, 1340 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek. Police said Novelli hid the cameras on two separate occasions: from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 4, 2022, and from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. July 23, 2022.
Initially, he was charged with 83 felony and misdemeanor counts, including attempting to produce child pornography, possession of child pornography, eavesdropping, burglary and installing a hidden camera.
Find out what's happening in Walnut Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Instead of going to trial, Novelli entered an agreement with the court in late August by pleading no contest to five counts. He was subsequently found guilty of those five counts and the court dismissed the other 78 charges against him.
Prior to his arrest, the Walnut Creek Police Department served a search warrant Aug. 10, 2022, at his Walnut Creek residence and seized numerous items of digital evidence. Walnut Creek police received help from the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the investigation.
Find out what's happening in Walnut Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Upon his arrest Aug. 25, 2022, Novelli —a Money Mailer franchisee — was held on $625,000 bail and has remained in custody ever since.
On Aug.25, 2023, exactly one year after he was arrested, Novelli was sentenced to two years in prison for three counts of eavesdropping and two counts of invasion of privacy, according to a spokesperson for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
“But, given that he was already held in custody, his remaining term was 120 days,” the spokesperson told Patch. “He has to register as a sex offender for 10 years and the court issued stay-away orders from Starbucks at 1340 North Main in Walnut Creek and one of the victims. Moreover, after completing his prison time he’ll be on parole. The number of years is up to a parole officer, but the range is between 3-15 years.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.