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'

(FILES) In this file photo a Congress staffer holds his hands up while Capitol Police Swat team check everyone in the room as they secure the floor of Trump supporters in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. A young woman identified as having taken part in the storming of the US Capitol reportedly stole a laptop belonging to top Democrat Nancy Pelosi and hoped to sell it to a Russian spy agency, according to an FBI criminal complaint. The complaint, filed late January 17, 2021 in US District Court in Washington, seeks the arrest of Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania on grounds including "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds." / AFP / Olivier DOULIERY
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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.

(FILES) In this file photo a supporter of US President Donald Trump leaves a note in the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protests inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. A young woman identified as having taken part in the storming of the US Capitol reportedly stole a laptop belonging to top Democrat Nancy Pelosi and hoped to sell it to a Russian spy agency, according to an FBI criminal complaint. The complaint, filed late January 17, 2021 in US District Court in Washington, seeks the arrest of Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania on grounds including "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds." / AFP / SAUL LOEB
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.