Criminal Mischief

When a Fortune 500 Company Became the Harasser
Criminal Mischief – eBay's Campaign of Intimidation

What happens when one of the world's largest technology companies decides it doesn't like what a journalist is writing?

For one Massachusetts couple, the answer was months of harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and psychological warfare.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio investigates one of the strangest corporate crime stories in recent American history: the federal criminal case against eBay and the extraordinary campaign carried out against the publishers of the online newsletter EcommerceBytes.

When Ina and David Steiner published articles critical of eBay's leadership and business practices, company executives didn't simply issue a statement or dispute the reporting. Instead, members of eBay's own Global Security team launched an astonishing harassment campaign designed to terrorize the couple into silence.

Anonymous threats.

Late-night deliveries.

Disturbing packages.

Constant surveillance.

Online intimidation.

And plans that investigators would later describe as escalating far beyond anything anyone expected from a publicly traded corporation.

Using courtroom recordings, police interviews, FBI evidence, witness testimony, and the defendants' own admissions, Carolyn reconstructs the conspiracy from its inception through the federal investigation, guilty pleas, and sentencing of those involved. Along the way, she explores the corporate culture that allowed the campaign to flourish, the executives who authorized it, and the legal questions that continue to surround one of Silicon Valley's most shocking scandals.

At its heart, this isn't simply a story about corporate misconduct.

It's about the freedom of the press, the abuse of power, and what can happen when criticism becomes something an organization believes must be eliminated instead of answered.

Because sometimes the most dangerous criminals don't wear masks.

They wear employee badges.

🎧 Listen & Follow
Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to follow so you never miss an investigation.

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If you're enjoying Criminal Mischief, please leave a 5-star rating and review. It helps more listeners discover the show and supports independent investigative journalism.

📺 Watch on YouTube
Watch full episodes, exclusive interviews, and companion content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

📱 Join the Conversation
Follow us on social media and join the discussion. Share your thoughts, suggest future investigations, and connect with other listeners who love digging beneath the headlines.

📧 Have a Story?
Know of a case that deserves another look? Email us anytime at info@eviocreative.com. Your tip could become the focus of a future investigation.

🕵️ New Episodes Every Week
Real crimes. Real investigations. Real consequences. Every week on Criminal Mischief.
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When a Fortune 500 Company Became the HarasserCriminal Mischief – eBay's Campaign of Intimidation

What happens when one of the world's largest technology companies decides it doesn't like what a journalist is writing?

For one Massachusetts couple, the answer was months of harassment, surveillance, intimidation, and psychological warfare.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio investigates one of the strangest corporate crime stories in recent American history: the federal criminal case against eBay and the extraordinary campaign carried out against the publishers of the online newsletter EcommerceBytes.

When Ina and David Steiner published articles critical of eBay's leadership and business practices, company executives didn't simply issue a statement or dispute the reporting. Instead, members of eBay's own Global Security team launched an astonishing harassment campaign designed to terrorize the couple into silence.

Anonymous threats.

Late-night deliveries.

Disturbing packages.

Constant surveillance.

Online intimidation.

And plans that investigators would later describe as escalating far beyond anything anyone expected from a publicly traded corporation.

Using courtroom recordings, police interviews, FBI evidence, witness testimony, and the defendants' own admissions, Carolyn reconstructs the conspiracy from its inception through the federal investigation, guilty pleas, and sentencing of those involved. Along the way, she explores the corporate culture that allowed the campaign to flourish, the executives who authorized it, and the legal questions that continue to surround one of Silicon Valley's most shocking scandals.

At its heart, this isn't simply a story about corporate misconduct.

It's about the freedom of the press, the abuse of power, and what can happen when criticism becomes something an organization believes must be eliminated instead of answered.

Because sometimes the most dangerous criminals don't wear masks.

They wear employee badges.

🎧 Listen & Follow
Listen to Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to follow so you never miss an investigation.

⭐ Rate & Review
If you're enjoying Criminal Mischief, please leave a 5-star rating and review. It helps more listeners discover the show and supports independent investigative journalism.

📺 Watch on YouTube
Watch full episodes, exclusive interviews, and companion content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

📱 Join the Conversation
Follow us on social media and join the discussion. Share your thoughts, suggest future investigations, and connect with other listeners who love digging beneath the headlines.

📧 Have a Story?
Know of a case that deserves another look? Email us anytime at info@eviocreative.com. Your tip could become the focus of a future investigation.

🕵️ New Episodes Every Week
Real crimes. Real investigations. Real consequences. Every week on Criminal Mischief.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Criminal Mischief
Episode 3: The Pike County Massacre — Judgment Day

After nearly a decade of investigation, courtroom battles, and shocking family betrayals, the Pike County Massacre finally reaches its conclusion.

In the final chapter of Carolyn Ossorio's exhaustive investigation into one of the most disturbing family murder conspiracies in American history, the Wagners begin turning on one another. Plea agreements are negotiated behind closed doors. Testimony once thought impossible becomes the prosecution's most devastating weapon. Parents testify against children. Sons testify against mothers. The carefully constructed image of an ordinary Ohio farming family collapses under the weight of its own lies.

Carolyn follows every major development—from the strategic deals that unraveled the Wagner family's defense, through the emotional courtroom testimony that revealed how eight members of the Rhoden family were systematically hunted and executed, to the convictions and sentences that finally brought a measure of justice to Pike County.

But this episode isn't simply about guilty verdicts.

It's about obsession disguised as love, control masquerading as family loyalty, and the devastating consequences of a belief that one family had the right to decide another family's future. Carolyn also explores the lingering questions that remain, the emotional scars carried by the survivors, and why the Pike County Massacre continues to haunt investigators, prosecutors, and the community that lived through one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history.

After weeks of exclusive interviews, meticulous reporting, and thousands of pages of court records, Criminal Mischief concludes its definitive examination of the Pike County Massacre.

Justice may have finally arrived—but some wounds never truly heal.

New episodes of Criminal Mischief are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss an investigation, and watch exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Criminal MischiefEpisode 3: The Pike County Massacre — Judgment Day

After nearly a decade of investigation, courtroom battles, and shocking family betrayals, the Pike County Massacre finally reaches its conclusion.

In the final chapter of Carolyn Ossorio's exhaustive investigation into one of the most disturbing family murder conspiracies in American history, the Wagners begin turning on one another. Plea agreements are negotiated behind closed doors. Testimony once thought impossible becomes the prosecution's most devastating weapon. Parents testify against children. Sons testify against mothers. The carefully constructed image of an ordinary Ohio farming family collapses under the weight of its own lies.

Carolyn follows every major development—from the strategic deals that unraveled the Wagner family's defense, through the emotional courtroom testimony that revealed how eight members of the Rhoden family were systematically hunted and executed, to the convictions and sentences that finally brought a measure of justice to Pike County.

But this episode isn't simply about guilty verdicts.

It's about obsession disguised as love, control masquerading as family loyalty, and the devastating consequences of a belief that one family had the right to decide another family's future. Carolyn also explores the lingering questions that remain, the emotional scars carried by the survivors, and why the Pike County Massacre continues to haunt investigators, prosecutors, and the community that lived through one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history.

After weeks of exclusive interviews, meticulous reporting, and thousands of pages of court records, Criminal Mischief concludes its definitive examination of the Pike County Massacre.

Justice may have finally arrived—but some wounds never truly heal.

New episodes of Criminal Mischief are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss an investigation, and watch exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Criminal Mischief
The Pike County Massacre – Episode Two: The House of Wagner
For more than two years, investigators searched for the people responsible for one of the most shocking mass murders in modern American history. The evidence was painstakingly collected, hundreds of interviews were conducted, and countless theories—from drug cartels to family feuds—were examined. Yet as detectives slowly assembled the pieces, one family kept appearing at the center of the puzzle.
The Wagners.
In this second episode, Carolyn Ossorio follows the investigation as law enforcement begins narrowing its focus to a family that, from the outside, appeared hardworking, successful, and deeply devoted to one another. But behind that carefully maintained image was a rigid hierarchy led by Angela Wagner—a mother whose influence over her husband and sons has become one of the most unsettling aspects of the case. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a family dynamic defined by loyalty, control, and an unwavering belief that blood came before everything else. Prosecutors would ultimately argue that this culture of obedience helped lay the groundwork for an unimaginable crime.
This episode explores the custody dispute involving Hanna Rhoden and Jake Wagner, the mounting evidence that began pointing investigators toward the Wagner family, and the painstaking detective work that transformed suspicion into one of the largest criminal investigations in Ohio history. We also examine how years of planning, digital evidence, forensic breakthroughs, and witness interviews gradually dismantled the appearance of an ordinary Appalachian family.
As the circle tightens around the Wagners, one question begins to overshadow every other:
Was this simply a custody battle that spiraled into violence—or had an entire family convinced themselves that murder was the only acceptable solution?

Criminal Mischief is hosted by investigative journalist Carolyn Ossorio and is part of the Evio Creative podcast network.
If you're enjoying the series, please follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who appreciates deeply researched true crime.
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