Six charged in cyberstalking case
The FBI charged six former eBay employees on Monday with harassing a Massachusetts tech newsletter editor and publisher, including sending “disturbing deliveries” of live cockroaches, a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig mask and funeral wreath.
The former employees allegedly sent anonymous threats and conducted covert surveillance against the Natick, Mass., unnamed couple, who wrote an online commerce newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
James Baugh, 45, of San Jose, eBay’s former senior director of safety and security, and David Harville, 48, of New York, the former director of global resiliency, were arrested on Monday and both charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and witness tampering.
Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, Veronica Zea and Brian Gilbert, former eBay workers in global intelligence and global security, were also charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and witness tampering.
The defendants couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The newsletter description matches EcommerceBytes, which is based in Natick, Mass. Three article names cited in court documents also match the newsletter. EcommerceBytes didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
EBay said all the former employees charged by the FBI were fired in September 2019, along with the company’s former chief communications officer. The San Jose online auctions company said no current employees were aware of the alleged schemes.
The alleged harassment began in August 2019 after the newsletter published a story about litigation involving eBay. Company executives said, “We are going to crush this lady,” according to FBI documents.
EBay said an internal investigation found that former CEO Devin Wenig, who left the company that month, did not know of the actions but had inappropriate communications.
FBI documents state that an eBay “Executive 1” said to another executive to “take her down,” referring to the newsletter editor. EBay told the Verge that “Executive 1” is Wenig.
According to a tweet from a Financial Times reporter, Wenig said in a statement: “As confirmed by [eBay] following a thorough, independent investigation, I did not direct or know anything about the acts that have been charged in Boston. I have spent my career defending press freedoms. What these charges allege is unconscionable.”
The employees allegedly sent deliveries, including pornography, addressed to the journalists but sent to neighbors’ homes, and a book titled “Grief Diaries: Surviving Loss of a Spouse.”
They also allegedly sent private and public messages on Twitter criticizing the newsletter and threatening to visit the victims, along with publishing their home address.
The group allegedly planned to have Gilbert, a former Santa Clara police captain, approach the victims to offer to help stop the harassment to “generate more favorable coverage” for eBay, according to the FBI.
Baugh, Harville, Zea and Popp allegedly drove to the victims’ home several times and the victims saw the surveillance and notified local police, who contacted eBay. The defendants allegedly lied about eBay’s involvement to both police and company lawyers and deleted digital evidence.
The charges each carry up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.