Capitol rioter accused of stealing Pelosi laptop amid new charges

• Riley June Williams, the woman accused of stealing Nancy Pelosi’s laptop and attempting to sell it to Russia, was charged with theft of government property on Tuesday.
• The Justice Department on Sunday accused the 22-year-old of breaking and entering the Capitol on January 6, but a new charge was added after the FBI investigated a tip.
• The current location of the laptop is still unknown. A Pelosi assistant previously said the device was only used for “presentations.”
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The 22-year-old woman accused of stealing House of Commons Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s laptop and planning to sell it to Russian spies has been slapped with new charges that could see her spend 20 years in prison.

The Justice Department initially accused Riley June Williams on Sunday of entering a restricted-access building and disorderly conduct in connection with the Jan.6 riot on Capitol Hill.

But in a court appearance on Tuesday, US attorney Christian Haughsby also charged Williams with theft of government property and obstruction, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

If Williams is found guilty of the charges, she could be sentenced to 20 years in prison, The Inquirer added.

Haughsby did not say whether Williams intended to sell the laptop to Russia. The FBI previously said in an affidavit on Sunday that a witness identifying himself as Williams’ former romantic partner told authorities Williams planned to give the laptop the laptop to a friend in Russia, who would then try to sell the device to the country’s intelligence service.

In a Tuesday affidavit update, an anonymous FBI agent said security tape from inside the Capitol building showed Williams entering and exiting Pelosi’s office.

The agent added that a person with the username “Riley” posted on the Discord message board site: “I STOLE S — FROM NANCY POLESI” and “I DOMT CARE I TOOK NANCY POLESIS HARD DRIVES I DONT CARE KILL ME. “

Department of Justice

The location of the laptop, identified by the FBI agent as a Hewlett-Packard device, remains unknown.

Pelosi deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said on Jan. 8 that the laptop was “only used for presentations.”

According to the FBI Sunday Affidavit, Williams packed up and left her mother’s home in Harrisburg, Pa., Sometime after the Capitol riot and removed a number of social media accounts.

Williams was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday, the DOJ said. CNN reported that Williams had indulged.

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The FBI began investigating whether Williams stole the laptop after receiving advice from someone identifying themselves as Williams’ former romantic partner.

John Minchillo / AP

The person called the FBI and said they saw a video of Williams taking the laptop and intended to sell it to the Russian intelligence agency, the FBI said.

However, the transfer of the laptop to Russia “failed for unknown reasons and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it,” the FBI wrote in its Sunday and Tuesday statement of facts, citing testimony from the FBI. prognosticator.

“This matter remains under investigation”, added the FBI

Williams’ attorney Lori J. Ulrich told The Inquirer: “A lot of these allegations are false,” without specifying which allegations she was referring to.

SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

In footage of the January 6 riot captured by Britain’s ITV News, Williams appeared to be one of the rioters guiding others to Pelosi’s office, indicating that she may have played a central role in the organization of the raid.

The FBI noted that a woman wearing a green shirt and brown trench coat, and carrying a zebra print bag over her shoulders, appeared to be Williams.

Williams’ mother told ITV News in a subsequent interview that her daughter got involved in “far-right bulletin boards” and frequently attended “rallies” to “want America to get the correct information” .

Williams’ next hearing is scheduled for January 21.

Williams graduated from Mechanicsburg Area Senior High in 2017 and worked for the Keystone Human Services health agency, the Inquirer said. The company has since fired Williams, ABC 27 reported on Tuesday.