BOSTON — The harassment happened years ago, but 2024 marked the end of one of the most unusual criminal cases in corporate history. The long-running saga involving eBay’s campaign against a Massachusetts couple concluded with a $3 million fine and the final sentencing of the employees involved.
According to federal prosecutors, the harassment was a planned effort to silence David and Ina Steiner, who published an industry newsletter called EcommerceBytes. The plot revealed how employees used live spiders, cockroaches, a fetal pig, and personal spying to target the pair.
A Campaign of Intimidation
The trouble began in August 2019 after Ina Steiner published an article about a legal dispute between eBay and Amazon. In response, seven eBay employees and contractors targeted the couple to scare them into stopping their reporting.
The tactics were disturbing. The Steiners received several anonymous deliveries to their home in Natick, Massachusetts, including live spiders, cockroaches, a fetal pig, and a bloody pig mask. The group also sent them a funeral wreath and a book titled "Grief Diaries: Surviving Loss of a Spouse."
Beyond the physical deliveries, the group posted fake Craigslist advertisements inviting strangers to the couple’s home for sexual encounters. They also followed the Steiners in person and attempted to break into their garage to install a GPS tracking device on their car.
During the trial, evidence showed that then-CEO Devin Wenig messaged another executive and said it was time to "take [Ina Steiner] down." Wenig, who resigned in 2019, was never criminally charged and denied knowledge of the scheme.
Corporate Consequences
The company reached a three-year deal with the government in January 2024 to resolve federal charges of stalking, witness interference, and obstruction. These charges came from the group's attempts to stop the investigation by deleting digital evidence and giving false leads to the Natick Police Department.
As part of the agreement, eBay must hire an outside expert to watch over operations and ensure it follows the law. A judge ordered eBay to pay $3 million, the maximum criminal fine allowed for the charges. Under this agreement, the government will drop the charges if eBay follows specific rules for those three years. Current eBay CEO Jamie Iannone issued a public apology for the events, describing the company’s past conduct as "wrong and reprehensible."
Final Sentencings
The legal case ended on July 18, 2024, with the sentencing of former security manager Brian Gilbert. He received "time served," meaning he did not face more jail time because he had already spent time in custody while the case was ongoing. He also received one year of supervised release (a period similar to probation) and a $20,000 fine for his role in the cyberstalking and for interfering with witnesses.
Other participants received significant prison terms. James Baugh, the former senior director of safety and security who masterminded the plot, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Former executive David Harville received 24 months. The remaining employees involved—Philip Cooke, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, and Veronica Zea—received sentences ranging from house arrest to 18 months in prison.
Full details regarding the case and the final results are available on the United States Attorney’s Office website.
