California House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, speaks at her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2021. – Pelosi defeats retired General Russel Honoré with the security briefing following the U.S. riot in the Capitol. January 6. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
SAUL LOEB | AFP | Getty Images
The Federal Bureau of Investigation during the Capitol riot on January 6 obtained an arrest warrant for a woman in Pennsylvania who allegedly stole a laptop from the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, D-California, with the intent to sell the device to the Russian equivalent. of the Central Intelligence Agency.
In an affidavit signed Sunday, Special Agent Jonathan Lund said the agency was investigating Riley June Williams after a person described as her ‘former romantic partner’ told authorities that Williams intended to send computer to a friend in Russia who would then succeed. together with the SVR, the country’s espionage force.
Lund wrote that the former romantic partner said that the transfer of the laptop failed “for unknown reasons” and that Williams still had the device or destroyed it.
Williams appears to have fled, Lund wrote in his affidavit. Williams’ mother told local law enforcement in Harrisburg, PA, that Williams “packed a bag and left her home and told her mother she would be away for a few weeks.”
“WILLIAMS did not provide her mother with any information about her destination,” Lund wrote. “Sometime after January 6, 2021, WILLIAMS changed her phone number and removed what I believe were her social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Telegram and Parler.”
Williams is charged with disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and trespassing on a restricted building. She could not be reached for comment.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi’s office, did not immediately respond to an inquiry. Hammill said shortly after the attack that a computer had been stolen and that it had only been used for presentations.
Lund’s affidavit says Williams was identified after her ex-partner made several calls to the FBI tip line. The FBI also reviewed the video of the riot, which appears to show Williams at the Capitol showing a crowd training a staircase leading to Pelosi’s office.
The statement also noted that law enforcement in Harrisburg met with Williams ‘mother, who has not been identified, on Jan. 11 after Williams’ mother filed a report of suspects. Officers saw Williams and her mother talking during a video chat at one point.
On Saturday, officers spoke again with Williams’ mother, “who told them that a British media crew had come to her house the night before and asked to speak to WILLIAMS, who was not present.”
On the same day, ITV News, a division in the United Kingdom, posted a video on the title of the YouTube page “Reveal: ITV News identifies protester who stormed the Capitol.” In the video, ‘Riley Williams’ is identified as a ’22-year-old care worker’ from Pennsylvania.
The video shows Williams’ mother claiming that her daughter was recently interested in President Donald Trump’s politics and message boards that are popular among the “right wing.”
Williams’ father told police on Saturday that he drove with Williams to DC for the protest, but that the two did not stay together during the day. According to the affidavit, he said they returned to Pennsylvania together.
Dozens of people were arrested in connection with the January 6 riot, and federal authorities said hundreds could eventually face charges.
Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, noted that it is likely that the relatively minor complaints filed earlier could be upgraded as the investigation continues.
Democratic lawmakers have asked the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to provide information on whether any foreign force played a role in exploiting the attack.
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