A former House Committee sysadmin allegedly ordered 240 phones and sold 200 on eBay. The scheme unraveled when a buyer called the House IT desk printed on the device.

Christopher Southerland, 43, reportedly shipped devices to his Maryland home. He told a pawn shop to sell parts to bypass House mobile device management, but intact phones surfaced online, triggering an investigation.

The theft cost the government over $150,000. Southerland pleaded not guilty after his January 2026 arrest and was released with orders to avoid Capitol grounds, with a court date set for later this month.

The case shows how low-tech mistakes can defeat high-tech safeguards. House IT asset tracking failed to flag the massive order, and a simple phone call from a curious buyer did what complex security audits missed.