How Riley Williams allegedly took Nancy Pelosi’s laptop in the Capitol riot

• According to the DOJ, Riley Williams took a laptop from Nancy Pelosi’s office during the Capitol Riot.
• Williams’ former romantic partner told the FBI she intended to sell him to the Russian equivalent of the CIA.
• Her mother says she has been involved in far-right circles.
• Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.

The Justice Department publicly charged around 100 people with crimes related to the Capitol Riot earlier this year, with more certainty to come.

Insurgents, seeking to stop the Congressional vote count confirming President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election, stormed in, smashed windows and ransacked congressional offices.

And one of them stole a laptop belonging to the most powerful woman in American history.

Read more: ‘It was degrading’: Black Capitol guard staff talk about what it felt like cleaning up mess left by violent pro-Trump white supremacists

In court documents filed on Sunday, federal prosecutors say Riley June Williams, a 22-year-old Pennsylvania resident, appeared to carry a laptop computer belonging to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. One of her former romantic partners told the FBI that she intends to sell him to Russia’s foreign intelligence services.

In footage captured by ITV News, Williams appeared to be one of the rioters guiding others further into the Capitol building and to Pelosi’s apartments, raising questions about the planning she had put into the events of the 6 January.

After initially fleeing, Williams was arrested Monday morning. It is still unclear what she did in the two weeks between the alleged theft of a laptop computer and her arrest.

Here’s what we know about Williams, how she got Pelosi’s laptop, and exactly how the Russians fit into it all.

So who is this woman?

Williams was singled out in a segment of ITV News, a British news organization, as someone who stood out during the Capitol uprising. She wore a long brown coat and a bright green shirt “with an alt-right slogan”.

Unlike most insurgents on the move, Williams seemed to have a mission. She pushed other rioters in one direction, shouting “Up, up, up!” according to ITV pictures.

Department of Justice

ITV News then interviewed William’s mother in Harrisburg, Pa., Who said her daughter was not at home. She said Williams got involved in “far-right bulletin boards” and frequently attended “rallies” to “want America to receive the correct information.” ITV also posted a photo of herself holding a military rifle while wearing a face mask featuring a skull illustration.

According to the FBI affidavit filed in court in connection with the charges against Williams, her mother told Harrisburg police that her daughter had left the house and said she “would be gone for a few weeks” without saying where she was. would go.

Jonathan Lund, the FBI agent who wrote the affidavit, said Williams deleted his Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Telegram and Speaking accounts after the insurgency.

How did she know how to get Pelosi’s laptop?

The extent to which Riley planned his foray into the Capitol building remains unclear.

According to the FBI affidavit and ITV News video footage, Williams appears to have entered the Capitol building with a crowd and made his way to his south wing, where the House of Representatives does its job.

She walked through Statuary Hall to the Little House Rotunda (near the Capitol Crypt) where she then led a crowd up a staircase and to Pelosi’s office, to ITV footage and FBI affidavits.

Other images of Williams show her carrying a zebra print bag with something inside that’s about the size of a laptop. You can see her at around 10 seconds in the video below:

Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said the laptop was “only used for presentations.”

It is not known what files were on the laptop, whether it has network access that allows it to access other files in Pelosi’s office, and what steps have been taken to secure it. A Pelosi representative did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

How did the FBI find her?

Dauphin County Jail / Handout via Reuters

The images of Williams were first shown widely in an ITV News segment that aired on January 12. their ex was there.

FBI agents then compared the person in the pictures with Williams’ Pennsylvania license photo and confirmed that they were the same person. Harrisburg police also confirmed to Williams’ mother that she was on Capitol Hill during the attack.

Are the Russians involved?

Williams’ ex, who called the FBI, also said Williams intended to send the laptop to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell it to SVR – the Russian equivalent of the CIA .

The ex-ex also said the transfer “failed for unknown reasons” and that Williams “still had the computer device or destroyed it,” according to the FBI affidavit.

Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The affidavit indicates that the matter is still under investigation.

Williams is scheduled to appear in a hearing Tuesday afternoon in a Dauphin County court, which includes Harrisburg. The county court clerk’s office told Insider the hearing will not be available to the public.