Former congressional employee charged with swiping nearly 250 government cellphonesChristopher Southerland allegedly ordered and resold more than $150,000 worth of phones while working for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Jan. 12, 2026, 4:54 PM EST
By Ryan J. Reilly, Michael Kosnar and Dareh Gregorian
WASHINGTON — A former congressional employee has been rung up on a charge that he stole approximately 240 government cellphones from the House of Representatives, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Christopher Southerland of Maryland was indicted last month on a charge that he "willfully and knowingly embezzled, stole and converted to his own use cellular telephones" that belonged to the government, a court filing unsealed in January shows. The total value of the phones was about $150,000, according to the office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
The indictment alleges the phones were being swiped right and left between January and May of 2023, while Southerland was working as a system administrator for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. ...
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