Central Pennsylvania Woman Convicted of Storming Pelosi’s Office During Jan. 6 Attack

Riley Williams, the Central Pennsylvania woman connected to the far-right “Groyper” extremist movement, has been convicted on several charges after prosecutors said she was part of a group that stormed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. 

Williams was convicted on six of the eight charges against her, including civil disorder. The jury was deadlocked on the final two charges, which were “aiding and abetting the theft” of a laptop that was stolen from Pelosi’s office and obstructing an official proceeding, according to the Associated Press. 

The Department of Justice has the authority to retry Williams’ on the latter two charges if they choose to do so. 

Prosecutors allege that on the day of the insurrection, Williams entered Pelosi’s office, found a laptop on a table, and told another rioter to “put on gloves,” before an unknown person wearing a black glove removed the computer. 

Later, Williams bragged online that she had stolen Pelosi’s gavel, laptop, and hard drives. She also said that she “gave the electronic devices, or attempted to give them, to unspecified Russian individuals,” according to a 2022 court filing. She denied stealing the laptop when the FBI questioned her and claimed that her ex-boyfriend “made up” the allegation. 

Before Williams left the Capitol on Jan. 6, she also joined other rioters in pushing against police officers trying to clear the Capitol’s rotunda. Body camera footage captured Williams encouraging her fellow rioters to keep pushing. 

Williams was arrested less than two weeks after the riot, and was charged with theft of government property, assaulting police, and obstructing the joint session of Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote, as well as several misdemeanor charges. 

Her online footprint also showed her association with “accelerationism,” prosecutors also said. Accelerationism is an ideology that asserts “Western governments are corrupt and unsalvageable, and therefore the best thing a person can do is accelerate their collapse by sowing social chaos and generating political conflict.”

While on house arrest awaiting her trial, Williams was allowed to attend the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire twice: once in August, and once in September.

Williams’ sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2023.  

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.