By raising the case against Williams, prosecutors indicate that they believe she is the culprit behind the theft of a laptop from Pelosi’s office, despite conflicting instructions from other rioters and social media. Employees of Pelosi say the laptop was used for presentations only.
The looming new charges are an indication of the swift efforts of prosecutors to build on some of the swift initial charges they have filed against Capitol rioters. FBI and Justice Department officials said they had set up quick cases to compile some of the insurgents and participants in the riots and add more serious charges over time.
A hearing on whether Williams should be detained while awaiting trial is due Thursday. Williams’ attorney, Lori Ulrich, is protesting the delay, noting that her client has been in jail since Monday.
According to the initial case against Williams, a former romantic partner who spoke to authorities allegedly saw a video of Williams taking a laptop or hard drive from Pelosi’s office. ‘
“[Witness 1] stated that WILLIAMS intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service, “the agent remarked.” According to [Witness 1], the transfer of the computer device to Russia failed for unknown reasons and WILLIAMS still destroyed or destroyed the computer device. ‘
“This case remains under investigation,” the agent concluded.
For now, Williams is facing charges of entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct for her actions within the Capitol.
The agent handling the Williams case also spoke to law enforcement officials in Harrisburg who recently spoke with Williams’ parents. On January 11, Williams’ mother filed a report of suspects against the person who the FBI identified as “Witness 1”. The witness is described as a former romantic partner of the suspect.
While local officials were present, Williams’ mother called her via a video, and officers saw her wearing a brown jacket similar to the one she saw in images of the January 6 riots. Harrisburg officials also spoke with Williams’ father, who said he drove with her to Washington for the protests, but that they were apart for the day while she joined other friends.
The couple drove home from Washington after meeting outside the Capitol.