Cyberstalking Case Moves Forward: Security Staff Settle; eBay & Ex-Execs Face 2026 Trial
UPDATE 11-17-25
Victims Ina & David Steiner of EcommerceBytes decry delayed justice as eBay cyberstalking scandal civil trial date is once again moved, now scheduled for March 2, 2026.
Liz Morton
Four more former eBay security employees reach settlement in cyberstalking scandal lawsuit as company and former executives face 2026 trial date.
The bizarre corporate plot unfolded in the summer of 2019, targeting journalists Ina and David Steiner for their reporting on eBay at EcommerceBytes and seeking to unmask the identity of unsuckEBAY (also known as FidoMaster/Dan Davis), an anonymous source and commenter who also sparked the ire of top executives at the company.
Court records revealed sordid details of the harassment that included disturbing deliveries of live insects, bloody pig masks and funeral wreaths as well as threatening messages, doxxing that ultimately escalated to in-person stalking and an attempted break-in at the hands of high-level eBay security personnel led by Jim Baugh.
Liz Morton
Baugh, Director of Global Resiliency David Harville, Security Manager Philip Cooke, Sr Manager Special Operations Brian Gilbert, Sr Manager Global Intelligence Stephanie Popp, Global Intelligence Manager Stephanie Stockwell, and Security Analyst Veronica Zea all pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in these crimes.
eBay signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice that forced the company to admit to a detailed recitation of all the relevant facts involving six felony offenses with eBay paying a $3 Million fine and undergoing 3 years of enhanced compliance monitoring in order to avoid further criminal prosecution related to this matter.
But importantly, that $3 Million was paid to the US Treasury, not the victims, leaving the Steiners to pursue compensation through the civil court system.
The ongoing lawsuit named the seven criminal defendants plus eBay, ex-CEO Devin Wenig, ex-Communications Chief Steve Wymer, ex-SVP Global Operations Wendy Jones, and security company Progressive F.O.R.C.E Concepts (PFC), claiming direction and support for the harassment came from the very top of eBay's c-suite.
The Steiners originally sought $700 Million in total damages, which was reduced to after some claims for punitive damages were dismissed while others were allowed to move forward following a November 2024 ruling by Judge Saris.
Those original claimed damages were broken out amongst the various named defendants with eBay and Baugh(as the ringleader of the criminal activity) alleged to be the most liable at $200 Million each.
However, PFC was released from the litigation in August 2025 as Judge Patti Saris ruled the Steiners did not adequately show the security company was liable for the claims brought against it and Baugh cut a deal with the Steiners in March 2025 to release him from the lawsuit in exchange for his testimony against Wenig, Wymer, and Jones.
Liz Morton
Judge Saris has still not ruled on whether to accept that settlement agreement and to release Baugh as a defendant, but the Steiners' attorneys are moving ahead with preparing for him to testify - requesting for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to allow Baugh to travel from Arkansas, where he is currently still in Federal custody, to Massachusetts for a trial currently scheduled to start January 5, 2025.
It's also possible the trial date may be moved as ex-CEO Devin Wenig has requested to delay until April since his attorney, Abbe Lowell, has multiple scheduling conflicts due to his involvement in several other high profile cases including:
- Trump v Cook - Mr. Lowell represents Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook in litigation arising from the Trump administration’s efforts to fire her.
- US v David Huerta - Mr. Lowell is co-lead trial counsel for David Huerta, California president of the Service Employees International Union who was charged with obstruction, resistance or opposition to a federal officer for action during an ICE raid.
- US v Letitia James - Mr. Lowell represents New York Attorney General Letitia James in her recent indictment on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
Both the plaintiffs, Ina and David Steiner, and defendant eBay Inc, have opposed the request to delay the trial, but Judge Saris has not yet ruled on this matter either.
Judge Saris had originally decided to split the trial, with eBay and the executive defendants going first in January then a separate, later trial for the remaining security personnel - but that may soon no longer be necessary as the Steiners have now inked settlement agreements with Security Manager Philip Cooke, Sr Manager Global Intelligence Stephanie Popp, Global Intelligence Manager Stephanie Stockwell, and Security Analyst Veronica Zea.
The motion only says that the Steiners and each of these defendants have entered into a confidential Settlement Agreement due to a "mutual desire to resolve their disputes by making a full and final settlement without additional litigation and the expenditure of time, effort, and expense" but does not explicitly say if they also agreed to testify against the executives as part of the agreement.
If Judge Saris approves this motion and the previous one to release Jim Baugh, that would leave only Director of Global Resiliency David Harville and Sr Manager Special Operations Brian Gilbert as defendants for a potential second trial - though the Steiners may still eventually reach separate agreements with them as well.
While neither the Steiners nor any of the defendants have provided an exact amount for what the potential total damages have been narrowed down to from that $700 Million starting point, based on previous decisions which dismissed some claims and the recent settlement agreements, it may be ~$100 Million or less by next year's eventual trial date.
Wenig, Wymer and Jones had sought to have a protective order barring discovery and depositions regarding Jim Baugh's alleged past work for the CIA and FBI lifted, arguing that proving they did not know about Baugh's supposed history in covert operations would be crucial to their defense.
Liz Morton
But Judge Saris declined to lift the order, saying "the additional classified details Defendants seek are, at best, marginally relevant" and "requiring further disclosure of classified information, beyond what is already known and available, would impose a significant burden that outweighs any speculative probative value."
As of time of publishing, Judge Saris has not yet ruled on these latest motions, so it remains to be seen whether the settlement agreements will be accepted and if the trial will be moved or go ahead in January as scheduled.
Stay tuned for updates as the eBay cyberstalking lawsuit continues and remember - VAR+ subscribers get exclusive access to the Value Added Resource eBay cyberstalking case document archive!
