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Feds charge former eBay executives with threatening, harassing Natick couple who were critical of company

By Boston 25 News Staff
By Boston 25 News Staff

Highly ranked former employees of eBay, an online retailer portal, have been charged for cyberstalking and harassing a Natick couple for a newsletter they published, which criticized the company.

The FBI says the harassment included sending threatening messages, surveillance of the couple and packages sent to the couple that contained live cockroaches, a funeral wreath and a bloody pig mask.

James Baugh, 45, and David Harville, 48, are the top suspects charged in connection to the scheme, according to the FBI.

Baugh, who lives in San Jose, is a former Senior Director of Safety and Security for eBay. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Harville, who lives in New York, is a former Director of Global Resiliency for eBay. he has been charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

In a release, federal investigators also listed co-conspirators who have been charged in connection to the scheme. They included:

  • Stephanie Popp, 32, former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence
  • Stephanie Stockwell, 26, former Manager of eBay’s Global Intelligence Center (GIC)
  • Veronica, Zea, 26, former eBay contractor who worked as an intelligence analyst in the GIC
  • Brian Gilbert, 51, a former Senior Manager of Special Operations for eBay’s Global Security Team

According to the release, the campaign began in August 2019 after the Natick couple published an issue of their newsletter containing an article about a lawsuit against eBay. That’s when, officials say, the company’s executive leadership team sent messages to each other saying it was time to “take down” the newsletter’s editor.

FBI investigators said the eBay team sent the couple a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask, a funeral wreath and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse. Investigators say the group also ordered pornography addressed to the newsletter’s editor, but had it delivered to their neighbors.

The FBI said the executives also messaged the couple via Twitter private message and became increasingly threatening.

“What it going to take for you to answer me, guess I’m going to have to get your attention another way bitch," one of the messages said, according to the FBI.

RAW VIDEO: US Attorney announces federal charges against former eBay employees US Attorney Andrew Lelling announced federal charges against former eBay employees accused of cyberstalking a Natick couple.

A second part of the harassment, according to the FBI, was to send Brian Gilbert, a former Santa Clara police captain, to contact the couple and offer to help them stop the harassment. At that point, investigators say the eBay group was publishing personal information about the couple, which had been dug up in a process called doxing.

EBay’s security team registered for a software conference in Boston and then allegedly visited the defendant’s house under the guise of investigating them for threats made against eBay executives. Once the company learned for the investigation, the FBI said the participants conspired to lie to investigators about it.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said eBay cooperated in the investigation with federal officials.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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