Facial recognition, GPS tracking used to ID Capitol riot suspects
FOX News correspondent David Spunt joins 'Special Report' with the latest update
The whereabouts of the laptop nabbed from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 remained unknown Wednesday, a day after a 22-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was slapped with additional, heftier charges for allegedly removing the device from the building and plotting to have it sold off to a Russian spy agency.
Riley June Williams, from Harrisburg, Pa., was charged with theft of government property and obstruction by U.S. Attorney Christian Haughsby during a court hearing on Tuesday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Those charges could land Williams in prison for up to 20 years if convicted, according to the newspaper.
Williams was first arrested Monday after she reportedly turned herself in. She was initially charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, authorities said.
She is accused of removing a Hewlett-Packard-brand laptop from Pelosi’s office at the U.S. Capitol. A witness, identified as Williams’ "former romantic partner," told FBI investigators that Williams intended to send the laptop stolen from Pelosi’s office to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the amended statement of facts submitted in court claims.
"According to W1, the transfer of the computer device to Russia fell through for unknown reasons and WILLIAMS still has the computer device or destroyed it. This matter remains under investigation," the document states.
The FBI did not return a Fox News request for comment Wednesday.
A video clip from a broadcast by British television network ITV reposted on YouTube showed a woman believed to be Williams -- wearing a green T-shirt and brown trench coat and carrying a black-and-white-striped zebra-print bag over her shoulders -- inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the amended statement submitted Tuesday to U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather.
NANCY PELOSI SAYS SHE'S 'NOT CONCERNED' ABOUT LAPTOP ALLEGEDLY STOLEN DURING CAPITOL RIOT
Williams repeatedly yelled, "Upstairs, upstairs, upstairs," while directing a group of intruders up the staircase leading to Pelosi’s office. Additional photos obtained by the FBI purportedly showed Williams wearing the same outfit in other areas both inside and outside of the Capitol.
Video showed Williams guiding other rioters up toward a staircase up to Pelosi's office. (Justice Department)
A video believed to be recorded and live-streamed by Williams had the camera directed toward a wooden desk with an "HP" laptop. Text across the clip reads: "they got the laptop." The Justice Department shared a screenshot of the video.
Another video allegedly recorded by Williams showed the Hewlett-Packard laptop on a wooden desk. (Justice Department)
Williams is also accused of bragging about stealing the laptop on the social media platform Discord.
"I stole sh** from Nancy Polesi [sic]," one message reportedly said. Another, posted by a user named "Riley," allegedly stated: "I took Polesis [sic] hard drives."
Security camera footage also showed Williams both entering and exiting Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6, the document -- written by an FBI special agent at the Manassas, Va., office, with the Cyber Crime Section -- states. The agent’s name was redacted from the amended document.
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On Jan. 8, Pelosi’s Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill confirmed via Twitter that "a laptop from a conference room was stolen," adding: "It was a laptop that was only used for presentations."
"I’m not concerned about that particular laptop," Pelosi told MSNBC reporter Joy Reid in an interview that aired Tuesday. "But that doesn’t matter. It could be any laptop and anytime … a constituent writes to a member of Congress it’s confidential … and for them to take that is a violation not only of my office but of my connection to my constituents."
Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
