An alleged Tumultuous capitol accused by a former partner of stealing a laptop or hard drive from Nancy Pelosi’s office surrendered to the authorities, two sources confirmed to CBS News. Riley Williams’ former partner told authorities that she planned to give the device to a friend who would sell it to Russia’s foreign intelligence service, a claim the authorities are investigating but have yet to confirm.
Williams’ former romantic partner called the FBI several times in the days following the disturbances to report that they saw her on video inside the Capitol, according to court documents. The partner, known as Witness 1, allegedly said that Williams’ friends showed them a video of her picking up a laptop or hard drive from Mayor Pelosi’s office during the disturbances.
The witness told the FBI 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.” But the witness also said the plan “failed for unknown reasons”, adding that Williams still has the device or she destroyed it.
The complaint does not offer additional evidence to support the allegations of theft, but says the complaint “remains under investigation”.
FBI
According to court documents, Williams appears several times in the images of the attack on the Capitol, including by a staircase near Pelosi’s office. She is not facing any charges of theft and is instead accused of “Entering or staying intentionally in any restricted building or land without legal authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct in Capitol fields.”
Williams’ father told Harrisburg police on January 16 that he and his daughter traveled together to Washington, DC, to participate in the protests, according to the documents. But he said the pair did not stay together during the day, according to the complaint.
The same day, Williams’ mother told investigators that her daughter was recently interested in President Trump and “far right message boards,” the complaint said.
The Justice Department confirmed on its website that Williams was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday night.
Clare Hymes and Andres Triay contributed reporting.