Two Former eBay Officials Put Behind Bars for Cyberstalking

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  • The U.S. Department of Justice sentenced two former eBay Inc EBAY executives to prison for their roles in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
  • James Baugh, eBay's former senior director of safety and security, and eBay's former director of global resiliency, David Harville, pleaded guilty to charges in the case.
  • Baugh, Harville, and several other eBay executives in 2019 hatched a campaign to harass Ina and David Steiner, the editor, and publisher of eCommercebytes, a website closely followed by online sellers, CNBC reports.
  • Prosecutors said former eBay CEO Devin Wenig and other leaders inside the company were outraged by their company coverage.
  • eBay executives repeatedly sent the couple harassing and threatening messages on Twitter Inc TWTR platform. 
  • The campaign escalated further when the Steiners began to receive "disturbing deliveries" to their home outside of Boston
  • Additionally, the report noted Craigslist posts appeared online, inviting strangers to experience sexual encounters at the victims' home. 
  • Baugh, Harville, and others also traveled from California to the Steiners' home to surveil the couple, prompting them to call the police. 
  • After learning of the police's investigation, Harville and Baugh deleted digital evidence related to the cyberstalking campaign. Additionally, Baugh made false statements to police and internal investigators and falsified records.
  • Harville and Baugh were arrested and charged in June 2020. 
  • Five other eBay employees have pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the matter, the report added.
  • Wenig, who resigned as CEO in 2019, is not named in the case
  • The Steiners have filed a separate lawsuit against eBay, Wenig, and former SVP Steve Wymer. Wenig claimed no knowledge of the harassment campaign.
  • Price Action: EBAY shares traded lower by 0.49% at $37.51 on the last check Friday.
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Posted In: GovernmentNewsRegulationsLegalTechMediaBriefs
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