Christopher Southerland, a 43-year-old resident of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was arrested and charged in connection with the theft of approximately 240 government cell phones from the U.S. House of Representatives. The indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court, alleges that the stolen devices are valued at over $150,000.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro commented on the case: “As alleged, stealing 240 government-issued phones worth over $150,000 is a direct betrayal of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “That’s taxpayer money meant to serve Americans, not line someone’s pockets. Accountability matters – and no one is above the law.”
According to evidence presented by federal authorities, Southerland served as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure between April 2020 and July 2023. In this role, he had authorization to order cell phones for committee staff.
From January through May 2023, Southerland allegedly arranged for 240 new government cell phones to be delivered directly to his home address in Maryland. During this period, only about 80 staff members worked on the committee. Authorities state that Southerland sold more than 200 of these devices to a local pawn shop.
The indictment further claims that Southerland instructed an employee at the pawn shop to sell the phones “in parts” in order to circumvent mobile device management software used by the House of Representatives. This software allows remote securing and monitoring of official devices.
The scheme came to light when one of the stolen phones was sold intact on eBay to an uninvolved buyer. Upon activating the phone, the purchaser saw contact information for the House Technology Service Desk and notified them. This led House employees to discover several missing devices previously ordered by Southerland.
The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Green is prosecuting the case for the District of Columbia with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabena Auyeung and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.
Officials remind that an indictment is an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
