Philip Cooke, Cyberstalking, Massachusetts 2020

A former supervisor of security operations for eBay’s security team has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a Natick, Mass. couple who published a newsletter critical of the company.

Philip Cooke, 56, of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty in October 2020 to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs 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. His co-conspirators, including David Harville, James Baugh, Stephanie Popp, Veronica Zea, Stephanie Stockwell, and Brian Gilbert, are awaiting trial or scheduled for sentencing.

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.

According to the charging documents, the defendants executed a three-part harassment campaign against the Natick couple in August 2019. The campaign included sending anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home, sending private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick, and surveilling the victims in their home and community.

The details of the cyberstalking campaign were revealed after the Natick Police began investigating the victims’ reports of harassment. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the federal investigation.

Defendant: Philip Cooke

Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses

City and State: San Jose, Calif.

Exact Date: October 2020

Sentence: 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release with the first year spent in home detention, $15,000 fine, 100 hours of community service