Federal prosecutors have charged a Maryland man with orchestrating a years-long theft scheme inside the U.S. House of Representatives, alleging he stole hundreds of government-issued cell phones and sold them for personal profit.
The findings of this case were revealed by the Department of Justice on Monday.
Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, was arrested Friday after a federal indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Authorities said the stolen devices were worth more than $150,000.
According to the indictment, Southerland worked as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure from April 2020 through July 2023.
His role gave him authority to order mobile phones for committee staff.
According to the government’s evidence, from approximately April 2020 until July 2023, Southerland worked as a system administrator for the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. As a system administrator, Southerland was authorized to order cell… pic.twitter.com/4jDFdoR3pp
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) January 12, 2026
Prosecutors allege that between January and May 2023, Southerland abused that access by directing roughly 240 new government phones to be shipped to his home in Maryland.
Of particular note, at the time, the committee had only about 80 staff members.
Investigators added that Southerland went on to sell more than 200 of the phones to a nearby pawn shop.
The sales raised red flags because the volume far exceeded any legitimate equipment turnover.
Perhaps aware of how easily this could be traced back to him, as part of the alleged scheme, Southerland instructed a pawn shop employee to break the phones down and sell them “in parts.”
Prosecutors claim that this was done to avoid detection by the House’s mobile device management software, which allows officials to track and secure government phones remotely.
The plans by Southerland were seemingly undone due to a blunder from the pawn shop.
The operation apparently unraveled when one of the stolen phones was sold intact on eBay to an unsuspecting buyer. When the purchaser powered on the device, it displayed a contact number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk.
After the buyer called the number, House officials began tracing the device and discovered that multiple phones linked to Southerland’s orders were missing. That discovery prompted a broader investigation.
The case is being jointly investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI, reflecting the seriousness of the alleged breach within a congressional office.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are handling the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Green leading the prosecution and additional assistance provided by current and former federal prosecutors.
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