EBay Inc. has agreed to pay a $3 million fine to settle criminal charges related to a harassment claim against a Massachusetts couple.
According to CBS News Boston, the claim involved the delivery of live spiders, cockroaches, a funeral wreath, a bloody pig mask, and a book about surviving the loss of a spouse. EBay employees carried out this event in retaliation for the couple’s online newsletter, EcommerceBytes, which sparked anger among some eBay executives.
EBay’s former CEO spoke to another executive saying, “If you are ever going to take her down, now is the time,” the documents state, according to CBS News Boston.
Following this, the victims, David and Ina Steiner, filed a lawsuit against eBay in federal court. They described a campaign of cyberstalking and disturbing deliveries that disrupted their lives.
The harassment began after Ina Steiner reported on a lawsuit filed by eBay against Amazon for allegedly poaching its sellers. Ina Steiner was targeted with harassing Twitter messages and strange emails from various groups geared toward “irritable bowel syndrome” and the “Communist Party of the United States.”
As a result, the Justice Department charged the online retailer with stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. The employees involved have already faced prosecution for their roles in the intimidation scheme that began in 2019.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts reported that under a deferred prosecution agreement, the charges against eBay could be dismissed if the company meets certain conditions.
Seven former eBay employees, including James Baugh, the company’s senior director of safety and security, have pleaded guilty in the case. Baugh, described as the mastermind of the scheme, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Former eBay CEO Devin Wenig, who was not criminally charged, has denied any knowledge of the harassment claim. His lawyers argue that his quoted message to “take her down” was taken out of context and referred to lawful action, not criminal acts.
