This photo of the discussion provided by Dauphin County, Pa., Prison shows Riley June Williams. Federal authorities on Monday, January 18, 2021 arrested Williams, whose former romantic partner says she took a laptop at the home office, Nancy Pelosi’s office during the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. (Dauphin County Jail via AP)
This photo of the discussion provided by Dauphin County, Pa., Prison shows Riley June Williams. Federal authorities on Monday, January 18, 2021 arrested Williams, whose former romantic partner says she took a laptop at the home office, Nancy Pelosi’s office during the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. (Dauphin County Jail via AP)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania woman facing charges of aiding and abetting a laptop from the home of Nancy Pelosi’s office speaker during the attack on the US capital will be released from prison, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
U.S. Magistrate Martin Carlson ordered that Riley June Williams, with travel restrictions, be released under her mother’s supervision, and ordered her to appear in federal court in Washington on Monday to continue her case.
“The seriousness of these offenses is great,” Carlson told Williams. “It can not be exaggerated.”
Williams, 22, of Harrisburg is accused of theft, obstruction and trespassing, as well as violent trespassing and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Carlson noted Williams has no previous criminal record.
The FBI says an unidentified former romantic partner of Williams let them know she appeared in a video on January 6, and the tipster claims she was hoping to sell the computer to Russian intelligence.
Williams’ defense attorney, Lori Ulrich, told Carlson the tipster is a former boyfriend who insulted Williams and that “his accusations are too high.”
The riot video shows a woman matching Williams’ description urging intruders to go ‘above, above, above’ during the attack, which briefly disrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.
“It is unfortunate that Ms. Williams took the bait of the president and entered the Capitol,” Ulrich told the judge.
Williams surrendered Monday to face complaints. She is expected to leave the Harrisburg jail later Thursday and will be electronically monitored to await trial.
She did not respond to questions as a federal marshal led her out of courtroom in handcuffs.
Carlson referred directly to the attack on the Capitol and said a crying crowd had unsuccessfully tried to prevent the peaceful transition of power.
“It’s been honored by generations of Americans for 232 years,” Carlson said. “It has become so commonplace that we think very little about it.”
An FBI agent in Virginia said Tuesday on the charge of theft-related charges that Williams was recorded on a closed circuit camera in the Capitol entering and exiting Pelosi’s office.
The agent’s affidavit states that a cell phone video that was probably shot by Williams shows a man’s glove hand lifting an HP laptop off a table, and the caption reads: ‘they have the laptop.’
Pelosi deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said a laptop used only for presentations was taken from a conference room. The current location of the computer was not disclosed in court documents and was not discussed in court on Thursday.