Ex-eBay employee who sent couple bloody pig mask gets slap on the wrist in cyber conspiracy

The former senior manager of special operations for eBay’s global security team was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Boston for his role in a cyber campaign that included sending a preserved fetal pig, a bloody Halloween pig mask and a book about surviving the loss of a spouse. at a couple’s home in Massachusetts.

Brian Gilbert, 56, of San Jose, California, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William Young to time served, one year of supervised release on the condition that he have no contact with either victims and a $20,000 fine.

In October 2020, Gilbert pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberattack and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Gilbert and others targeted David and Ina Steiner, investigators said.

The pair produced an online newsletter called EcommerceBytes that upset eBay executives with its coverage.

Gilbert is one of seven former eBay employees and contractors on the company’s security team who were charged and eventually convicted for their roles in the cyberattack campaign.

“Today’s sentencing ends our pursuit of eBay’s appalling behavior. The company’s culture resulted in seven eBay employees and contractors unleashing an unspeakable campaign of harassment and intimidation against the victims in this case, all to silence their reporting and protect the eBay brand,” Acting U.S. Attorney said in a statement. USA Joshua Levy.

In August 2019, the defendants executed a three-part harassment campaign against the Natick, Massachusetts, couple, including ordering anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, investigators said.

Their home address was also posted online with notices inviting strangers to yard sales and parties.

Some of the defendants also sent private Twitter messages and public posts criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick, according to prosecutors.

The third phase of the campaign involved surveillance of victims in their home and community.

The victims spotted the surveillance and notified Natick Police, who began an investigation.

In January, eBay agreed to pay a $3 million fine to settle criminal charges over the harassment campaign waged by employees who also sent live spiders, cockroaches and other disturbing items to the couple’s home, prosecutors said.