Macabre EBay Case Sees Second Ex-Police Captain Plead Guilty (1)

A former top eBay Inc. security executive pleaded guilty to cyberstalking conspiracy and witness tampering in a bizarre harassment campaign against a couple whose critical blog posts outraged company executives.

Brian Gilbert, who was the online auctioneer’s senior global security manager, is the second ex-security official -- and former Santa Clara, California, police captain -- to plead guilty in the case, following Philip Cooke, who was responsible for eBay’s European and Asian offices.

In a deal Cooke struck with prosecutors, the U.S. will recommend he serve 2 1/2 years in prison, under federal sentencing guidelines. Gilbert’s agreement is still in ...