Federal authorities have arrested a woman whose former romantic partner said she took a laptop from the home office of Nancy Pelosi during the riot at the US Capitol.
According to a justice official, Riley June Williams was arrested on Monday. It is not yet known when her initial court appearance will be.
The FBI said in an arrest warrant on Sunday that Williams was not charged with theft, but only for entering the Capitol illegally and for disorderly conduct.
According to FBI officials, a caller claiming to be an ex of Williams said friends of hers showed him a video of her taking a laptop or hard drive from Pelosi’s office. The caller claims that she intended to send the device to a friend in Russia who was planning to sell it to the country’s foreign intelligence service, but the plan fell through and she either destroyed the device. The FBI says the case remains under investigation.
Pelosi deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill confirmed on January 8 that a laptop had been taken from a conference room, but said it was a laptop used only for presentations.
Williams’ mother, who lives with her in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, told ITV reporters that her daughter was suddenly interested in President Donald Trump’s politics and “far-right message boards.” Her father, who lives in Camp Hill, told local law enforcement that he and his daughter were in Washington on the day of the protest, but that they did not stay together and later met to return to Harrisburg. the FBI said.
Williams’ mother told local law enforcement that her daughter had packed a bag and left before she was arrested, saying she would be away for a few weeks. She also changed her phone number and deleted a number of social media accounts, the FBI said. In the court documents, no lawyer is listed for her.