WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former congressional employee has been arrested and federally indicted in connection with the theft of hundreds of government-issued cell phones from the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was arrested Friday after a federal indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors allege Southerland stole approximately 240 government cell phones valued at more than $150,000 while working as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Court documents state that Southerland was employed in that role from April 2020 through July 2023 and was authorized to order mobile phones for committee staff. Between January and May 2023, investigators allege he abused that access by directing shipments of new government phones to his home, despite the committee having only about 80 staff members at the time.

Prosecutors say Southerland sold more than 200 of the phones to a nearby pawn shop. As part of the alleged scheme, he instructed a pawn shop employee to sell the devices “in parts” to avoid triggering the House’s mobile device management software, which allows officials to remotely monitor and secure devices.

The alleged theft was discovered after one of the phones was sold intact on eBay to an unrelated buyer. When the device was activated, it displayed a contact number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk, prompting the buyer to call. House officials then determined that several phones linked to Southerland were unaccounted for.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

An indictment is an allegation, and Southerland is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.