Riley Williams, who allegedly stole Nancy Pelosi’s computer during the Capitol riots, arrested



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An alleged Capitol Rioter accused by a former partner of stealing a laptop or hard drive from Nancy Pelosi’s office surrendered to authorities, two sources confirmed to CBS News. Riley Williams’ former partner told authorities she plans to give the device to a friend who sells it to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, a claim that authorities are investigating but have yet to confirm.

Williams’ former romantic partner called the FBI several times in the days following the riots to report that they had seen her in videos inside the Capitol, according to court documents. The partner, known as Witness 1, reportedly said friends of Williams showed them a video of her taking a laptop or hard drive from President Pelosi’s office during the riots.

The witness told the FBI that Williams “intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who was then considering selling the device to SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service.” But the witness also said the plan “failed for unknown reasons”, adding that Williams still had the device or destroyed it.

The complaint does not offer additional evidence to support the theft allegations, but states that the complaint “is still under investigation.”

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Riley Williams shown in her driver’s license photo, which was included in court documents.

FBI


According to court documents, Williams has appeared in footage of the Capitol Assault on multiple occasions, including near a staircase near Pelosi’s office. She currently faces no charges of theft, and is instead charged with “knowingly entering or remaining in a building or restricted land without legal authorization and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.”

Williams’ father told Harrisburg Police on Jan.16 that he and his daughter traveled together to Washington, DC, to attend the protests, the documents show. But he said the couple did not stay together during the day, according to the complaint.

On the same day, Williams’ mother told investigators her daughter had recently taken an interest in President Trump and “far-right bulletin boards,” according to the complaint.

The Department of Justice confirmed on its website that Williams was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday evening.

Clare Hymes and Andres Triay contributed reporting.

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