Riley June Williams was investigated in connection with the theft of Nancy Pelosi’s laptop, and its possible sale to Russia, for months.
By Justin Heinze, Patch Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The young Pennsylvania woman who helped break into Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6, and whose age and actions brought her notoriety and made her one of the iconic faces of the insurrection, has been sentenced to three years in prison, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Riley June Williams, 23, of Harrisburg, had been convicted in November of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder and related counts. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C.
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The charges she was convicted of held a maximum penalty of up to 25 years behind bars. Prosecutors had sought at least 7.
Williams was among the mob that broke into the Capitol through the Senate Wing door at about 2:15 p.m. on Jan. 6, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia said.
Authorities said Williams “directed” other rioters, pushed against officers and recorded videos of the incident. Once in Pelosi’s office, Williams filmed the theft of the laptop, authorities said. It was initially believed that Williams had stolen it herself, and she was investigated for months under possible suspicion of selling it to Russi
According to investigators, a tipster told the FBI that Williams intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell it to SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the affidavit said.
Williams fled after Jan. 6, deleting all of her social media profiles and losing contact with friends and family, officials said. She was arrested on Jan. 18 in Harrisburg.
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