The feds are investigating whether a Pennsylvania woman who was seen on video participating in the US Capitol riots stole a laptop or hard drive from Mayor Nancy Pelosi’s office and planned to sell it to the Russians, officials said.
The FBI is looking for Riley June Williams on charges of entering a restricted building, disrupting the government’s orderly conduct and engaging in disorderly or disturbing conduct.
There is no indication that a laptop was actually stolen from the speaker’s office and the agency said in a sworn statement that “the matter is still under investigation”.
“It looks like WILLIAMS ran away,” according to the statement. “According to the local police in Harrisburg, WILLIAMS’s mother stated that WILLIAMS packed up, left the house and told her mother that she would be gone for a few weeks.
“WILLIAMS did not provide the mother with any information about the intended destination,” he added.
A witness described as Williams’ former romantic partner claimed to have seen footage of her “picking up a laptop or hard drive from Speaker Pelosi’s office.”
“[Witness 1] stated that WILLIAMS intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, ”said an agent.
“According [Witness 1], the transfer of the computer device to Russia failed for unknown reasons and WILLIAMS still has the computer device or destroyed it, “according to the statement, which includes a link to a documentary produced by ITV News, London.
A woman identified as Williams – wearing glasses, a green shirt and a brown jacket and carrying a bag on her shoulder – can be seen shouting “up there, up, up”, pushing people towards Pelosi’s office, according to the NPR.
The program highlights the woman, saying that she was “disciplined, focused, with a sense of urgency, directing people up the stairs”.
On January 16, William’s mother told authorities “that a British media team had come to her home the night before, asking to speak to WILLIAMS, who was not present,” according to the statement.
“The news team presented WILLIAMS ‘mother with one or more images taken at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Her mother acknowledged that it was WILLIAMS in the image,” the statement said.
“It looks like WILLIAMS got away,” he added.
Williams was not charged with theft.