WASHINGTON — A former information technology employee for the U.S. House of Representatives is accused of orchestrating a months-long theft scheme that prosecutors say funneled hundreds of government-issued cell phones from Capitol Hill into the resale market.
Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was arrested Jan. 9, 2026, after a federal grand jury indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charging him with theft of government property.
According to prosecutors, Southerland worked from April 2020 through July 2023 as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, a role that granted him authority to order mobile devices for committee staff. Investigators allege that between January and May 2023, Southerland abused that access by ordering approximately 240 new government-issued phones and directing them to be shipped to his home.
At the time, the committee employed roughly 80 staff members — a discrepancy investigators say should have raised immediate red flags.
Authorities allege Southerland then sold more than 200 of the phones to a nearby pawn shop, converting taxpayer-funded property into personal profit. In an effort to avoid detection, prosecutors say he instructed a pawn shop employee to sell the devices “in parts,” a tactic intended to bypass the House’s mobile device management system, which allows officials to remotely track, secure, and disable government phones.
The scheme began to unravel when at least one phone was sold intact to an unsuspecting online buyer. When the device was powered on, it displayed a contact number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk. The buyer called the number, prompting an internal review that revealed dozens of missing phones traced back to orders placed under Southerland’s credentials.
Southerland is charged with willfully embezzling, stealing, and converting property of the United States. Prosecutors say the value of the stolen devices exceeded $150,000, elevating the case to a felony offense.
In addition to potential prison time, federal authorities are seeking forfeiture of proceeds tied to the alleged scheme, including a money judgment equal to the value of the stolen phones. If those assets cannot be recovered, prosecutors have indicated they will pursue substitute assets.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia.
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