US Attorney Charges 6 eBay Executives and Employees With Conspiracy

eBay staffers engage in stalking and a vicious online attack against a couple critical of eBay.

June 15, 2020, Los Angeles, CA – Six former eBay executives and employees are facing federal conspiracy charges after they allegedly led a vicious cyberstalking campaign against a Natick, MA couple they believed to be critical of eBay in an online e-commerce newsletter.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said the eBay employees’ harassment included sending the couple “disturbing deliveries” that included a bloody pig mask, a box of live cockroaches, and a funeral wreath. Pornography was mailed to the couple's next-door neighbors in the couple’s names.

The eBay employees also allegedly posted a classified ad on Craigslist claiming to be from the Natick couple inviting “singles, couples and swingers” to their house to party after 10 p.m. every night. “People were encouraged to knock on the couple’s door, anytime day or night,” said Lelling. The employees also allegedly sent anonymous threatening messages and traveled to Massachusetts to conduct “covert surveillance” of the victims.

Members of eBay’s executive leadership team followed the newsletter and took issue with the content and anonymous comments under the stories. “It was a determined, a systematic effort of senior employees of a major company to destroy the lives of a couple in Natick, all because they published content company executives didn’t like,” said Lelling.

The plot at one point included planning to break into the couple's garage and install a tracking device on their car, but they were stopped by police.

Charged are, James Baugh, 45, of San Jose, California, eBay’s former Director of Safety and Security, David Harville, 48, of New York City, Stephanie Popp of San Jose, 32, former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, Stephanie Stockwell, 26, of Redwood City, CA, Veronica Zeak, 26, of San Jose; and Brian Gilbert, 51, of San Jose and a former police captain. Each is charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Two unnamed executives included in the complaint had roles above Baugh. Part of the investigation included what role former eBay CEO Devin Wenig may have had in the incident. Mr. Wenig has departed eBay.

eBay responded with a crafty press release, "Neither the Company nor any current eBay employee was indicted." However, those charged were employed by eBay at the time of the incident. eBay launched a “comprehensive investigation” in August 2019 and all of the employees involved, including the Chief Communications Officer, were fired in September 2019. "eBay apologizes to the affected individuals and is sorry that they were subjected to this," but according to the affidavit, at least two executives had encouraged attacks on the newsletter. eBay admitted that Wenig made “inappropriate” comments about the newsletter.