Northeast
Ex-congressional IT aide accused of stealing 240 government phones and selling them at pawn shop
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A former congressional IT aide is accused of abusing his trusted access to steal roughly 240 taxpayer-funded cellphones worth more than $150,000, shipping them to his Maryland home and selling most of them at a pawn shop, federal prosecutors say.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday that Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, Md., was arrested and charged in a federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court, accusing him of stealing about 240 government-issued cellphones from the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to evidence reviewed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and her office, Southerland worked from about April 2020 through July 2023 as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In that role, Southerland was authorized to order mobile devices for committee staff, prosecutors said, giving him direct access to the internal system used to procure government-issued phones.
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Federal prosecutors say a former House IT aide abused trusted access to steal and sell 240 government cellphones, a scheme uncovered after one device surfaced online. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Boston, MA
Boston’s season stays alive with dramatic buzzer-beater to advance to conference title game
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The Boston Terriers men’s basketball team advanced to the Patriot League finals on Sunday with a nail-biting victory over the Navy Midshipmen, 73-72.
And it couldn’t have come closer than what took place at the end of the second half.
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Boston University Terriers guard Michael McNair (20) drives to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats forward Arrinten Page (22) during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Nov. 7, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Chance Gladden #2 of the Boston University Terriers is defended by Ben Eisendrath #5 of the Harvard Crimson during the 2025 college Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase game between Harvard Crimson and Boston University Terriers on Nov. 22, 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Terriers came into the game as the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. The Midshipmen had the best record in the conference and were the No. 1 seed. The game was tied at 70 apiece with Navy inbounding the ball from the other side of the court with about 8.4 seconds left in the game.
Navy’s Austin Benigni received the pass and took the ball coast-to-coast for the go-ahead layup.
Boston’s Chance Gladden received the ball quickly in a last-ditch effort to try to put the Terriers back up. He dribbled up the court, went behind his back as he crossed mid-court and threw up a prayer from well beyond the 3-point line. It went in.
Navy Midshipmen’s mascot, Bill the Goat, in the stand during the Army/Navy basketball game on Feb. 21, 2026, at Christl Arena in West Point, New York. (David Hahn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Terriers improved to 17-16 on the season and still have hopes that they could punch their ticket to the dance with a win in the Patriot League Championship. Navy, with a record of 26-7, may be on the outside looking into the NCAA Tournament this season.
Gladden finished with 26 points on 8-of-12 from the field. He made three 3-pointers and had four assists to his credit. Michael McNair added 22 points.
Navy’s Aidan Kehoe had 26 points, 12 rebounds and five steals in the loss. Benigni added 17 points.
A detailed view of the Patriot League conference logo shown on the floor before a college basketball game between the American Eagles and the Navy Midshipmen at Bender Arena on Jan. 12, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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Boston will play Lehigh in the Patriot League Championship on Wednesday.
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Pittsburgh Panthers (12-19, 5-13 ACC) vs. Stanford Cardinal (20-11, 9-9 ACC)
Charlotte, North Carolina; Tuesday, 2 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Stanford faces Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament.
The Cardinal have gone 9-9 against ACC teams, with an 11-2 record in non-conference play. Stanford has a 3-2 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Panthers’ record in ACC games is 5-13. Pittsburgh has a 2-2 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
Stanford is shooting 43.7% from the field this season, 2.0 percentage points lower than the 45.7% Pittsburgh allows to opponents. Pittsburgh’s 43.6% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.0 percentage points lower than Stanford has given up to its opponents (45.6%).
The teams square off for the second time this season. Stanford won the last meeting 75-67 on Feb. 26. Ebuka Okorie scored 34 to help lead Stanford to the win, and Cameron Corhen scored 22 points for Pittsburgh.
TOP PERFORMERS: Okorie is scoring 23.1 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Cardinal. Benny Gealer is averaging 13.1 points and 1.7 steals over the past 10 games.
Corhen is scoring 13.1 points per game with 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Panthers. Barry Dunning Jr. is averaging 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinal: 6-4, averaging 77.9 points, 29.6 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.4 points per game.
Panthers: 3-7, averaging 64.2 points, 29.4 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 6.6 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 42.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.8 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
A man was charged with murder and interfering with police on Sunday night.
According to police, officers were dispatched to an apartment on Washington Street for a wellness check of a woman who was reportedly unconscious and not breathing.
When officers arrived, they made contact with a man in the apartment who refused to cooperate and would not allow officers access. They then had to force entry into the apartment where they located the victim suffering from severe head trauma as well as the aggressive male, police said.
The man was secured and transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility and is being held on a million-dollar bond.
The victim was revealed to be 76-year-old Linda Anthony and was pronounced deceased on scene.
The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
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