eBay has agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty for orchestrating a harassment campaign against a Massachusetts-based couple, Ina and David Steiner, who operated a newsletter occasionally critical of the company.
Charged with six criminal offenses, including stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice, eBay’s employees sent disturbing packages to the Steiners’ home in 2019, containing items such as a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig, live insects, and a funeral wreath.
The $3 million settlement, announced Thursday, represents the statutory maximum fine for eBay’s charges, as stated by the Massachusetts US attorney’s office.
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Acting US attorney Joshua Levy characterized eBay’s conduct as “absolutely horrific,” emphasizing that the campaign aimed to silence the Steiners’ reporting and protect the eBay brand, putting the victims through a distressing ordeal.
As part of the settlement, eBay is obligated to retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for three years and enhance its compliance program.
In response, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone acknowledged the company’s conduct in 2019 as “wrong and reprehensible” in a statement on the company website.
eBay: Criminal Charges – Stalking, Tampering, Obstruction
The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against eBay, including two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through electronic communications services, one count of witness tampering, and one count of obstruction of justice.
As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, eBay has agreed to pay $3 million.
As stipulated in the agreement, eBay will be obligated to retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for a duration of three years.
This measure aims to ensure that eBay’s senior leadership establishes a culture where compliance with the law is of utmost importance, implements safeguards to prevent future criminal activities, and communicates unequivocally to every eBay employee that engaging in activities such as terrorizing innocent individuals and obstructing investigations will not be tolerated, stated Joshua Levy, the state’s acting US attorney.