Former eBay Executive to Plead Guilty to Criminal Charges in Cyberstalking Scandal
The eBay cyberstalking scandal continues to dog the company and today news comes out that James Baugh, eBay’s former senior director of safety and security, intends to plead guilty to federal charges.
Check Out These Resources
- Do you need a business bank account for your online business? Take a look at our review of the five best bank accounts for sellers, some of which are free with no minimum balance or deposits. [sponsored]
- Boost your social media engagement with Publer. Learn how you can save time writing engaging content faster with AI. [sponsored]
- Could your online business use capital for growth? Here is a primer on revenue-based loans, and how they work.
Baugh was awaiting trial in Boston, but a federal judge on Tuesday scheduled a hearing for him to plead guilty on Friday at the request of his lawyers.
He and David Harville, eBay’s former director of global resiliency, were the only two defendants left among seven former eBay workers who were charged in 2020 with harassing the owners of an online blog who frequently criticized the company that had not pleaded guilty.
Baugh and Harville were indicted in November 2020 by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection to their involvement in the cyberstalking campaign. With Baugh’s apparent decision to take a guilty plea, Harville is the lone defendant remaining in this case and his trial still remains scheduled to start on May 31.
The owners of the blog that were harassed by the former eBay employees are said to be in settlement discussions with the company after filing a civil lawsuit in 2021 against eBay, two of its former top executives, the charged former employees, and other entities allegedly involved in the cyberstalking campaign.
Cyberstalking Campaign Changed Executive Management at eBay
The cyberstalking case is believed to have been the reason former eBay CEO Devin Wenig left the company in 2019, following the company’s internal investigation into the matter.
Also, eBay’s CCO Steven Wymer was terminated immediately following the board’s investigation, but Wenig was allowed to resign and depart the company with a golden parachute-style compensation.
There were no charges filed by the government against Wenig or Wymer in connection with this cyberstalking case. Both have denied any specific knowledge of the actions taken by the seven former eBay workers but are listed in the blog owner’s civil suit.
Wenig tried to be removed from the civil case but his name still appears on the lawsuit.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
We do not sell your information.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Head over to our Facebook Group for Small Business Marketplace Sellers and interact with us and other small business owners. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to stay up to date with relevant news and business insights for your online business.
Richard Meldner
Richard is co-founder of eSeller365. He has over 17 years of experience on eBay which includes tens of thousands of sales to buyers in over 100 countries and even has experience with eBay’s VeRO program enforcing intellectual property rights for a former employer. And for about two years Richard sold products on Amazon using Amazon FBA in the US.
To “relax” from the daily business grind, for a few weekends a year, he also works for IMSA as a professional race official.