Former eBay execs get jail time in cyberstalking case involving Twitter threats and fetal pig deliveries

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Two of the eBay executives who have been charged for staging a cyberstalking marketing campaign towards the creators of the eCommerceBytes e-newsletter have been sentenced to jail. The Justice Division says that these execs, together with 5 different former eBay workers, labored collectively to intimidate David and Ina Steiner. They apparently hatched a scheme concentrating on the Steiners shortly after Ina revealed an article of their e-newsletter a couple of lawsuit eBay filed accusing Amazon of poaching its sellers. David mentioned the individuals concerned of their harassment made their lives “a dwelling hell.”

James Baugh, eBay’s former senior director of security and safety, was sentenced to nearly 5 years in jail and was ordered to pay a effective of $40,000. In the meantime, David Harville, eBay’s former Director of International Resiliency and the final individual within the case who pleaded responsible, bought a two-year sentence and was ordered to pay a $20,000 effective. 

In line with the DOJ, the group despatched disturbing deliveries to the couple’s residence, together with “a guide on surviving the demise of a partner, a bloody pig masks, a fetal pig, a funeral wreath and stay bugs.” In addition they despatched the couple threatening Twitter messages and posted on Craigslist to ask the general public to partake in sexual encounters on the victims’ residence. Authorities additionally mentioned that Baugh, Harville and one other eBay worker monitored the couple’s residence in individual with the intention of attaching a GPS tracker to their automotive. 

Based mostly on the case’s courtroom paperwork, David Wenig, who was eBay’s CEO on the time, despatched one other high exec a message that mentioned “In case you are ever going to take her down … now could be the time” half-hour after Ina’s put up was revealed. In flip, that government despatched Wenig’s message to Baugh, including that Ina was a “biased troll who must get BURNED DOWN.” As The Washington Submit notes, Wenig was not charged within the case however is dealing with a civil lawsuit from the Steiners, who accused him of trying to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence them.” He denied any information of the harassment marketing campaign. 

As for Baugh and Harville, each requested the Steiners for forgiveness, in accordance with The Submit. “I take 100% duty for this, and there’s no excuse for what I’ve performed. The underside line is just this: If I had performed the fitting factor and been sturdy sufficient to make the fitting selection, we wouldn’t be right here right now, and for that I’m really sorry,” Baugh mentioned.

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