Capitol rioter 'hoped to sell Pelosi's laptop to Russia'

Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania faces charges including 'violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds'

Capitol Police secure an area of the US Capitol after it was stormed by Trump supporters on January 6. AFP

A young woman is accused of storming the US Capitol and stealing a laptop from the office of top Democrat Nancy Pelosi with the hope of selling it to a Russian spy agency.

The FBI filed a complaint against Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania late on Sunday in a US District Court in Washington. She faces charges including "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds".

The Washington Post reported on Monday night that federal authorities said they arrested Ms Williams, but the report included few details.

Relying on several photos and videos of the chaotic January 6 intrusion, an FBI agent said Ms Williams was seen near the office of Ms Pelsoi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A supporter of US President Donald Trump leaves a note in the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during the riot at the US Capitol on January 6. AFP

A witness, identified in the court document as W1 but who claimed to be "the former romantic partner of Riley June Williams", accused Ms Williams of planning to send the laptop to a friend in Russia to sell it to the country's foreign intelligence agency.

That sale "fell through for unknown reasons, and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it", the affidavit said.

The FBI said it was still investigating.

Several videos show a woman believed to be Ms Williams directing fellow rioters, urging them "upstairs, upstairs, upstairs".

The complaint says Ms Williams' mother, who lives in the city of Harrisburg, was shown pictures taken in the Capitol and confirmed a thin, brown-haired woman with glasses was her daughter.

She said her daughter had "taken a sudden interest in President Trump's politics".

Ms Williams travelled to Washington with her father, although the two were separated during the chaos that day.

The complaint said that after Ms Williams returned home, she packed a bag and told her mother she was leaving "for a couple of weeks".

"It appears that Williams has fled," the complaint said.

Dozens of those who forced their way into the Capitol have been arrested, usually with the help of photos and videos posted on social media.

The Capitol remains on lockdown before president-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday as president – an event the rioters had hoped to prevent.

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of former president Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, US, January 6, 2021. Reuters

A supporter of US President Donald J. Trump sits on the desk of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after supporters of US President Donald J. Trump breached the US Capitol security in Washington. EPA

Police detain a person as supporters of US President Donald Trump protest outside the US Capitol. AFP

Protesters enter the US Capitol Building. AFP

A protester holds a Trump flag inside the US Capitol Building near the Senate Chamber. AFP

US Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

Members of congress run for cover as protesters try to enter the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol. AFP

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol. AFP

Congress staffers hold up their hands while Capitol Police Swat teams check everyone in the room as they secure the floor of Trump supporters. AFP

US Capitol Police stand detain protesters outside of the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

A supporter of US President Donald Trump sits at a desk after invading the Capitol Building. AFP

A protester sits in the Senate Chamber. AFP

Pro-Trump protesters tear down a barricade as they clash with Capitol police during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results by the US Congress. Reuters

Police hold back supporters of US President Donald Trump as they gather outside the US Capitol's Rotunda. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol's Rotunda. AFP

A protester is seen hanging from the balcony in the Senate Chamber. AFP

Riot police prepare to move demonstrators away from the US Capitol. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces, as they storm the US Capitol. AFP

A supporter of US President Donald Trump wears a gas mask as he protests after storming the US Capitol. AFP

Pro-Trump supporters storm the US Capitol following a rally. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest inside the US Capitol. AFP

US President Donald Trump is seen on TV from a video message released on Twitter addressing rioters at the US Capitol, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in the US Capitol Rotunda. AFP

Paramedics perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a patient. AFP

A wounded protester is carried on barricade as demonstrators breach the US Capital building grounds. Bloomberg

US Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol earlier in the day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. EPA

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of the morning, after protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington. AP