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A28 u.s. news
DIAHUEBS 22 JULI 2021
Couple in eBay harassment case sues company, ex-officials

(AP) — A Massachu- son surveillance from com- Federal prosecutors have
setts couple subjected to pany workers. They’re seek- said the harassment includ-
threats and other bizarre ing damages to be awarded by ed anonymous deliveries of
harassment from former a jury. items like live insects, a fu-
eBay Inc. employees filed neral wreath, and a bloody
a civil lawsuit against the “This has been an unbeliev- pig face Halloween mask
Silicon Valley giant on ably difficult ordeal for my to the couple’s home. The
Wednesday. wife and I,” David Steiner employees also sent por-
said. “Never did we imagine nographic magazines with
David and Ina Steiner say in doing our jobs as journalists the husband’s name on it to
their lawsuit filed in Boston would lead to this. We want their neighbor’s house and
federal court that the compa- to protect the rights of re- planned to break into the
ny engaged in a conspiracy to porters and their freedom of couple’s garage to install a
“intimidate, threaten to kill, the press. We have endured GPS device on their car.
torture, terrorize, stalk and enormous cruelty and abuse
silence them” in order to “sti- and feared for our lives. If “This was a determined,
fle their reporting on eBay.” this behavior can happen to “The misconduct of these Steiners, we are very sorry for systematic effort by senior
us, it can happen to anyone.” former employees was what they endured.” employees of a major com-
The Natick residents, who wrong, and we will do what pany to destroy the lives of a
run EcommerceBytes, an In a statement Wednesday, is fair and appropriate to try Several former eBay employ- couple in Natick all because
online newsletter focused eBay apologized to the cou- to address what the Steiners ees were charged last June for they published content that
on the e-commerce industry, ple and stressed that it fully went through,” the company their roles in the harassment company executives didn’t
say they were subjected to cooperated with authorities said. “The events from 2019 campaign. At least five have like,” then-U.S. Attorney for
cyberstalking, death threats, during their inquiry. should never have happened, already pleaded guilty. Massachusetts Andrew Lel-
bizarre deliveries, and in-per- and as eBay expressed to the ling said at the time.

Off-duty DEA agent arrested on Capitol riot charges

(AP) - An off-duty Drug forcement, me being law en-
Enforcement Adminis- “This indictment results forcement myself I started to
tration agent posed for from conjecture, political document everything,” Ibra-
photographs in which he pressure and a flawed at- him told host Tucker Carl-
flashed his DEA badge tempt to paint a specific nar- son, adding he later gave the
and firearm outside the rative through pictures taken materials to the FBI “so those
U.S. Capitol during the wholly out of context. Mr. criminals could face justice.”
Jan. 6 riot, according to a Ibrahim firmly believes the
court filing Tuesday fol- truth shall always prevail,” “I wanted to aid law enforce-
lowing the agent’s arrest. Richie said in a statement. ment that day as best I could.
I really didn’t think anything
A video posted on the inter- He is scheduled to make his of it,” he said.
net also showed Mark Sami initial court appearance on
Ibrahim carrying a flag bear- Tuesday afternoon before After flying back to Los An-
ing the words “Liberty or U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia geles, Ibrahim said, he was
Death” outside the Capitol, Faruqui. stripped of his badge and gun
about 12 minutes before a and “fired after being sus-
mob of people pulled apart a A DEA spokeswoman didn’t pended for two months for
nearby set of barricades, au- immediately respond Tues- performance issues.”
thorities said. their behavior in the District after leaving the DEA and day to an email seeking com-
of Columbia or face criminal wanted the protests to be his ment. “They got it wrong,” he said
Ibrahim, of Orange County, charges for participating in stage for launching a ‘Liberty of his termination. “Me and
California, was a probation- the riot. Ex-military partici- Tavern’ political podcast and The DEA had declined for my brother both served in
ary employee of the DEA and pated, too. cigar brand.” months to say whether any of the Army. I followed him
was on personal leave from its agents attended the rally, into federal law enforcement.
the agency when he traveled Ibrahim wasn’t working as Ibrahim acknowledged that saying it could not comment My sister is a Navy veteran.
to Washington on Jan. 6. Sev- a law-enforcement officer he was at the Capitol on Jan. on “specific personnel mat- My mom was in the Penta-
eral weeks before the riot, he at the Capitol on Jan. 6, but 6 but denied that he displayed ters.” gon on 9/11.”
had given notice of his inten- he told investigators after the or exposed his DEA badge
tion to resign. riot that he was there to help and firearm there despite the “If we receive information “The saddest part about this,”
a friend who had been asked photographic evidence to the indicating an employee en- Ibrahim added, “is I can’t
Also on Tuesday, a third per- to document the event for contrary, authorities say. gaged in misconduct, DEA’s serve my country anymore.”
son pleaded guilty to partici- the FBI. policy is to promptly refer
pating in a plot for members Ibrahim was arrested Tues- the case to the appropriate In a WhatsApp group chat
of the anti-government Oath The friend denied that, how- day in Washington on charges authorities for review,” the with at last five other law-
Keepers group to storm the ever, and told investigators that included entering or re- agency told AP in January. enforcement officers, Ibra-
Capitol on Jan. 6. The judge that Ibrahim had concocted maining in a restricted build- him posted a photo of him-
who accepted Caleb Berry’s the false story to “cover his ing or grounds with a firearm Ibrahim has denied breaking self standing near barricades
guilty plea didn’t immedi- ass,” according to a case sum- and making a false statement any laws, telling Fox News that had been pulled apart by
ately schedule his sentencing mary signed by senior special when he denied displayed his in March that he “never even the mob several minutes ear-
hearing. agent with the Justice De- badge or firearm. set foot on the stairs of the lier, the OIG agent wrote. He
partment’s Office of the In- Capitol building.” He said also posted video in the chat
The presence of law enforce- spector General. Defense attorney Darren he went to the rally with his that showed Ashli Babbitt, a
ment at the riot has been Richie said Ibrahim didn’t brother, an FBI agent, who woman fatally shot inside the
troubling for the police who “According to Ibrahim’s participate in the riot, engage faced “no adverse action” for Capitol, being taken from
were attacked and beaten. friend, Ibrahim went to the in any violence or try to enter attending. the building to an ambulance
The DEA agent is among at rally in order to promote the Capitol that day. He also by emergency workers, the
least 30 officers in 12 states himself,” the OIG agent remained “honest and volun- “When the crowd began to agent said.
who are being scrutinized for wrote. “Ibrahim had been tarily cooperative” with au- be hostile toward law en-
thinking about his next move thorities, Richie added.