A former Department of Justice contractor is headed to federal prison after prosecutors said he quietly funneled thousands of government-issued cell phones into the resale market, sticking taxpayers with a bill topping $1.3 million. U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb on Tuesday sentenced 42-year-old Javan King of Laurel, Maryland, to 12 months and one day behind bars, ordered him to repay roughly $1.32 million, and imposed two years of supervised release. Federal officials say the scheme played out while King worked as an information-technology contractor in the DOJ's Civil Rights Division between 2021 and 2025.
How prosecutors say he did it
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, King arranged for more than 4,800 government cell phones to be ordered and shipped to DOJ addresses, then diverted those devices to phone-resale businesses and kept the money. The office says Judge Cobb also ordered $1,319,172.85 in restitution, while federal prosecutors had pushed for a 24-month sentence.
Where the money went
Prosecutors say the resale cash helped bankroll casino gambling at MGM properties, wagers on FanDuel, vacations, private school tuition, and a down payment on a $92,000 Range Rover, as reported by FOX 5 DC. Investigators estimate that the combined value of the resold phones and related wireless charges exceeded $1.3 million, and the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General ultimately referred the case for prosecution.
How the scheme was uncovered
The operation started to unravel when a private buyer in Kentucky bought an iPhone online that turned out to be property of the Department, prompting the Office of Inspector General to open an investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Court filings show that King pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2026, to one count of mail fraud, and sentencing followed on Tuesday.
Legal implications
King pleaded guilty to mail fraud and now faces prison time, court-ordered restitution, and two years of supervised release. The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman and investigated by the DOJ Office of Inspector General, highlights how much damage can be done when a single contractor has broad access to agency procurement systems.
