Another Former Member of eBay's Global Security Team Sentenced
The group orchestrated a three-part cyberstalking campaign against journalists

Former eBay Employee Sentenced for Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign

BOSTON – A former intelligence analyst for eBay, Inc. was sentenced today for her role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.

Veronica Zea, 28, of San Jose, Calif., a former eBay contractor who worked as an intelligence analyst in eBay’s Global Intelligence Center (GIC), was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to two years’ probation with her first year to be served in home confinement and a $5,000 fine. In October 2020, Zea pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

List of Former e-Bay Executives Involved in the Scheme & Sentenced

● On Sept. 29, 2022, co-conspirator James Baugh, former senior director of safety and security, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $40,000.

● Also on Sept. 29, 2022, co-conspirator David Harville, former Director of Global Resiliency, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000.

● Philip Cooke, former supervisor of security operations for eBay’s European and Asian offices, was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison.

● On Oct. 11, 2022, Stephanie Popp, former Senior Manager of Global Intelligence, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.

● Stephanie Stockwell, former manager of eBay’s GIC, was sentenced to two years of probation with a year of home confinement.

● Brian Gilbert, former Senior Manager of Special Operations for eBay’s Global Security Team, is awaiting sentencing.

Between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Sept. 6, 2019, Zea and her co-conspirators at eBay agreed to engage in a harassment campaign targeting a husband and wife in Natick, Mass. for their roles in publishing a newsletter that reported on issues of interest to eBay sellers. Senior executives at eBay were frustrated with the newsletter’s tone and content as well as the substance of comments posted beneath the newsletter’s articles. The harassment campaign arose from communications between those senior executives and Baugh, who was eBay’s senior security employee.

Zea and her co-conspirators executed a three-part harassment campaign intended to intimidate the victims and to influence their reporting about eBay. The campaign included sending anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home; sending private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content; threats to visit the victims in Natick; and traveling to Natick to surveil the victims and installing a GPS tracking device on their car.

Among other things, several of the defendants ordered anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, including a preserved fetal pig, a bloody pig Halloween mask, a funeral wreath, a book on surviving the loss of a spouse, and pornography addressed to the victims but delivered to their neighbor’s homes. Zea used cash to purchase prepaid debit cards for use in the campaign and ordered insects to the victims’ home.

As part of the second phase of the campaign, Zea’s co-conspirators sent public tweets and private threatening Twitter messages that were written as if they had been sent by eBay sellers who were unhappy with the victims’ coverage in the newsletter. Some of these messages posted the victims’ address and threatened to visit them at their home.

The third phase of the campaign involved covertly surveilling the victims in their home and community. On Aug. 15, 2019, Zea travelled from California to Natick with Baugh and Harville to surveil the victims and to install a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car. Zea and Harville registered for a software development conference to explain the trip to Boston. The victims spotted the surveillance team and contacted local police. At Baugh’s direction, Zea also lied to an eBay investigator who was responding to the Natick Police’s request for assistance.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks made the announcement today. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.  justice.gov


Here's the Daily's full coverage on the case from the beginning:

October, 2022: Two Ex-eBay Employees Sentenced for Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign

September 29, 2022: Ex-eBay exec heading to prison for harassing couple behind newsletter

September 20, 2022: At eBay, Lurid Crimes and the Search for Punishmenting Campaign

April 26, 2022: Ex-eBay Sr. Director of Safety & Security Pleads Guilty to Role in Cyberstalking Campaigny

July 22, 2021: eBay's Top Execs Ordered 'Terrorism' Campaign, Couple Say

Nov. 4, 2020: Two Ex-eBay Security Executives Indicted on More Charges in Cyberstalking Scandal

Sept. 28, 2020: 'Inside eBay's Cockroach Cult: The Ghastly Story of a Stalking Scandal'

July 8, 2020: Seventh Former eBay Employee Charged in Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign

June 22, 2020: ● eBay's Former CEO Denies Any Link to Cyberstalking
● eBay's Two Efforts - Separate & Independent - Asset Protection & Global Security
● eBay corporate statement provided to the Daily

June 18, 2020: 'Having a Prosperous LP Career Without Compromising Ethical & Moral Standards'
- Op/Ed article by John Velke, SVP of Risk Management & Loss Prevention, Total Wine & More

June 17, 2020: EBay's Former PR Chief Is 'Executive 2' in Cyberstalking Indictment

June 16, 2020: What They're All Saying - The Story Behind the Story - eBay's Former CEO Directed His Rage?

June 15, 2020: Former Senior Director of Safety & Security & Other Global Security Team Members Arrested, Facing 5 Yrs Prison & 3 Yrs Supervised Release & $250,000 Fine

June 15, 2020 Special Report: "Emotionally & Psychologically Terrorizing Middle-Aged Couple"