7 of eBay's Former Global Security Team Faces Federal Sentencing for Cyberstalking
& Threatening the Media

Former eBay Security Operations Supervisor Gets 18 Months Fed. Prison for Role in Aggressive Cyberstalking Campaign of Two Publishers
BOSTON – A former supervisor of security operations for eBay’s was sentenced today for his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a Natick, Mass. couple who published a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.

Philip Cooke, 56, of San Jose, Calif., a former police captain in Santa Clara, Calif., was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release with the first year spent in home detention. Cooke was also ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and to perform 100 hours of community service. In October 2020, Cooke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Cooke admitted to conspiring with six other former eBay employees. David Harville, of New York City, and James Baugh, of San Jose, Calif., were charged on June 15, 2020, with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses and are pending trial. Stephanie Popp, Veronica Zea, both of San Jose, Calif., Stephanie Stockwell, of Redwood City, Calif., and Brian Gilbert, of San Jose, Calif., have pled guilty and are being sentenced over the next few months.

According to the charging documents, the victims of the cyberstalking campaign were a Natick couple who are the editor and publisher of an online newsletter that covers ecommerce companies, including eBay. Members of eBay’s executive leadership team followed the newsletter’s posts, often taking issue with its content and the anonymous comments underneath the editor’s stories.

It is alleged that in August 2019, the defendants executed a three-part harassment campaign against the Natick couple. 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 and a book on surviving the loss of a spouse.

As part of the second phase of the campaign, some of the defendants allegedly sent private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick. The charging documents allege that Cooke, Baugh, Gilbert and Popp planned these messages to become increasingly disturbing, culminating with “doxing” the victims (i.e., publishing their home address). It is alleged that the same group intended then to have Gilbert, a former Santa Clara police captain, approach the victims with an offer to help stop the harassment that the defendants were secretly causing, in an effort to promote good will towards eBay.

The third phase of the campaign allegedly involved surveilling the victims in their home and community. The victims spotted the surveillance, however, and notified the Natick Police, who began to investigate.

Aware that the police were investigating, the defendants allegedly sought to interfere with the investigation. For example, Cooke and, allegedly, several of the other defendants discussed the possibility of presenting Natick Police with a false investigative lead to keep the police from discovering video evidence that could link some of the deliveries to eBay employees. As the police and eBay’s lawyers continued to investigate, the defendants allegedly deleted digital evidence that showed their involvement, further obstructing what had by then become a federal investigation.

eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the federal investigation. justice.gov

Editor's Note: The journalists had written a number of critical storyies of a former CEO of eBay who denied any involvement in the case. However, various articles insinuated his knowledge and even suggested they were acting in response to the CEO's wishes along with a former PR Chief who had been implicated. Who denied their involvement and was never charged. The links below follow the case from start to finish.

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

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"