A former IT aide for Congress stands accused of exploiting his position to pilfer around 240 taxpayer-funded cellphones, valued at over $150,000, and selling the majority at a pawn shop, according to federal prosecutors.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that Christopher Southerland, aged 43 and residing in Glen Burnie, Maryland, was arrested following a federal indictment revealed in U.S. District Court. He faces charges for allegedly stealing these government-issued cellphones from the U.S. House of Representatives.

As detailed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and her office, Southerland served as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure from approximately April 2020 until July 2023.

In his capacity, Southerland was responsible for ordering mobile devices for committee staff, which granted him direct access to the internal procurement system used to acquire government phones.

Prosecutors unraveled the scheme, which involved the illicit sale of these cellphones, after one device appeared online. The case highlights a significant breach of trust by a former House IT aide.

From January 2023 through May 2023, Southerland allegedly used that authority to order roughly 240 new cellphones and have them shipped directly to his home, despite the committee having only about 80 staff members at the time.

Prosecutors say Southerland later sold more than 200 of the phones to a nearby pawn shop, converting the government property into personal cash.

Federal prosecutors say a former House IT aide abused trusted access to steal and sell 240 government cellphones to a pawn shop, a scheme uncovered after one device surfaced online. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

As part of the alleged scheme, Southerland instructed a pawn shop employee to sell the devices “in parts,” investigators say, a move designed to bypass the House’s mobile device management software, which allows officials to remotely monitor and secure government phones.

The scheme began to unravel when one of the stolen phones was sold intact rather than dismantled, according to prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors say a former House IT aide’s alleged scheme to steal and sell 240 government cellphones was uncovered when a buyer purchased one on eBay. (iStock)

That device ultimately ended up listed on eBay and was purchased by an uninvolved buyer. When the buyer powered on the phone for the first time, a contact number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk appeared on the screen, the DOJ said.

The buyer called the number, prompting House officials to investigate and discover that multiple phones ordered under Southerland’s account were unaccounted for, prosecutors said.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Green for the District of Columbia, with assistance from other federal prosecutors.