The US Department of Justice charged Javan King with mail fraud, accusing the Maryland resident of purchasing and reselling thousands of government-owned mobile devices, according to a court filing by the DC US Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that from 2021 to 2025, King, who worked as an information technology contractor in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, ordered approximately 4,700 unnecessary phones. He claimed that these devices were needed for the office, including attorneys, new employees, and political appointees, and a handful as “extra,” according to the filing, which says King had those devices sent directly to his office. King then sold the devices, prosecutors say, alleging he made more than $1.3 million by selling to resellers who would then pay King via PayPal.
King’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
King’s case comes about two weeks after a former congressional employee, Christopher Southerland, was accused of stealing and reselling hundreds of mobile phones with an estimated value of about $150,000.
Samantha is an Editorial Fellow at the Washingtonian and a senior at American University, studying Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies. She lives in Washington, D.C.
