Capitol Riot Suspect Plotted To Sell Stolen Pelosi Laptop To Russian Intelligence, Authorities Say (nbcnews.com) 160
An anonymous reader quotes a report from NBC News: A Pennsylvania woman accused of being one of the Capitol rioters told a former "romantic partner" that she planned to steal a laptop computer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office and sell it to Russian intelligence, court documents revealed Monday. The woman, Riley June Williams, 22, was on the run, charged with disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with the intent to disturb a session of Congress and other charges after her former flame turned her in.
"Williams is not in custody," a federal law enforcement officials said Monday afternoon. William's ex, who was described in Special Agent Jonathan Lund's charging document as W1 (witness one), called the FBI and told it that she "intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service." "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," the document states. Lund said the device and circumstances of what Williams was doing with it remain under investigation. The laptop was reported stolen from the conference room on Jan. 6 but was "only used for presentations," according to Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hamill.
"Williams is not in custody," a federal law enforcement officials said Monday afternoon. William's ex, who was described in Special Agent Jonathan Lund's charging document as W1 (witness one), called the FBI and told it that she "intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service." "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," the document states. Lund said the device and circumstances of what Williams was doing with it remain under investigation. The laptop was reported stolen from the conference room on Jan. 6 but was "only used for presentations," according to Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hamill.
"Patriots" (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
It's an example of people who want to watch the world burn.
Re: "Patriots" (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm not defending this behavior, it's seditious, but don't generalize. Some may be well-intentioned, but some have clearly been compromised by whatever conspiracy theories they now fervently believe. This is what happens when you take the "us versus them" mentality too far, coupled with "them" being your government. Clearly, some people in government are selfish, power-hungry individuals. This is not evidence of some grand conspiracy. It is a just a sad fact of the human experience.
I wish these individuals would put effort into being activists to get politicians elected who have their best interests in mind, regardless of political affiliation. I am enough of a realist to know that is unlikely.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not just seditious, it's actual treason.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:"Patriots" (Score:5, Insightful)
How would it be hearsay? There's a witness who says they were told this directly. They didn't hear it from an intermediate party.
Re: (Score:2)
How would it be hearsay? There's a witness who says they were told this directly. They didn't hear it from an intermediate party.
That is hearsay. However, it falls into one of the several exceptions to the hearsay rule. (IANAL, but I find this stuff interesting so have learned a little about it).
In general, it's hearsay any time a person testifies about what they heard someone else say. The hearsay rule says that hearsay may not be introduced as evidence in a court case, which makes sense because it's always better to get the person who made the statement to testify, rather than someone who heard it.
But there are some important
Re: (Score:2)
Fair enough. Any statement not made directly by the defendant is hearsay technically. Plenty of hearsay is acceptable in court of course, so the hearsay link by forty two tenfold still makes no sense since this is one of those cases since it does not trigger the hearsay rules. Some of the US hearsay rules seem to be a bit messed up. Like the one about exculpatory statements to investigators being inadmissible in court. They kind of left that one wide open for abuse.
She's a patriot! (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously Maybe just revenge (Score:5, Informative)
Few people would truly have the connections to sell a gov laptop to the Russians But then maybe she does have the connections.
Or maybe she's an idiot (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
At the very least they'll charge her (Score:2)
Re:Seriously Maybe just revenge (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Seriously Maybe just revenge (Score:5, Funny)
An American tells a Russian that the United States is so free that he can stand in front of the White House and yell, “To hell with Ronald Reagan.”
The Russian replies: “This is nothing. I can stand in front of the Kremlin and yell, ‘To hell with Ronald Reagan,’ too.”
Re:Seriously Maybe just revenge (Score:5, Insightful)
If you're dumb enough to live stream your crimes on social media then trying to sell stolen government property to Russia isn't exactly a far reach.
Re: (Score:3)
Maybe the connection was the one who reached out to her first, and encouraged her to steal it in the first place.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't the Russians have teams of people looking throughout the US for people to sell or give them secrets? I don't know, but I assume it couldn't be that hard if she had something they wanted. I bet they won't pay her as much as she is expecting - maybe a nice Russian passport and an apartment in Moscow.
Re: (Score:2)
Wouldn't be hard to get. Just walk into the Russian embassy and there you go.
Though the minute your within 100 meters of that embassy, the Feds will be onto you.
Re: (Score:2)
Few people would truly have the connections to sell a gov laptop to the Russians But then maybe she does have the connections.
Indeed clearly she doesn't. She was only selling it to a Russian friend. *They* were going to on sell it. I think you massively underestimate just how easy it is to sell something some group is interested in to said group.
Re: (Score:2)
Yet another person who doesn't understand that espionage is not "James Bond" but just regular people. Every country has scores of people in different walks of life monitoring who is running what up the flag pole. In many instances, those 'whos' are idiots who don't understand the challenge is making sure the owners of the goods don't see it.
Re: (Score:2)
"Few people would truly have the connections to sell a gov laptop to the Russians"
How hard is it to reach out to a Russian embassy from a burner phone or email account?
And she could literally mail it to anywhere in Russia and let them know the tracking # and I'm sure they could intercept it enroute.
Re: (Score:2)
Few people would truly have the connections to sell a gov laptop to the Russians
Are you under the illusion that the Russian embassy or consulates are hidden?
How to sell US secrets or laptop to the Russians (Score:5, Funny)
Just call this number:
703-482-0623
They will be quite interested in obtaining what you have. I assure you, they will get back to you very quickly.
(202) 226-8000 (Score:2)
(202) 226-8000
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder how reliable the information is (Score:5, Funny)
Ivan calls Misha. "You haven't dropped by for a while! Come for some vodka, pirogi and chess!"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Oh, I've got a garden to spade."
"Alright."
Ivan calls KGB. "Honor to work comrade! Do you know Misha Gavrilovic Petrosjan, born 1938, from Putilovo?"
"Yes we do comrade. What do you want?"
"Oh, I've heard he's got a stash of czar's gold hidden in his garden. He's bragged not the devil will find it there."
"...Thank you, comrade."
A few days later, Ivan calls Misha. "How are you?"
"Don't even ask."
"Did the KGB come?"
"...Yes."
"Did they spade up your garden?"
"Yes."
"Well then, come drop by for some vodka, chess and pirogi!"
Re: (Score:2)
I can only guess what was going through this woman's mind if the story is even partially true, maybe she assumed since Trump has heaped plenty of praise on Putin that the Russians would be able to find evidence of voter fraud...??
Re:I wonder how reliable the information is (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, keep your head firmly buried in the sand.
* Russia places bounties on US troops (Trump ignores it)
* Russia hacked our US agencies (Trump defends them)
* Putin congratulates Biden on winning the elections (Trump doesn't even say anything then)
* Navalny arrested (not a peep out of Trump)
And these are just the most recent examples, there have been many more examples [reddit.com].
Dear Ms. Williams, (Score:3)
The Rosenbergs have some advice for you.
Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:5, Insightful)
I think a majority was just there to protest, and went in for the lack of resistance. But among them there may have been:
- People actually trying to make a coup
- Russian spies, or any member of some intelligence agency
- Agitators plotting to give protesters a bad rap by escalating the violence (highly successful if it was the case)
- Looters, just looking to steal something
- People who just wanted to show off
- Passerbys who just wanted to be part of something big, or were just a bit too curious
- People who just wanted to fight, like hooligans in sports matches
- Journalists and wannabe journalists
This is not a conspiracy theory and I am not saying that each group had a representative, but in a riot, many people just take advantage of the crowd for their own deeds. Just look at BLM protests, don't tell me that the people who looted black-owned businesses really were there to protest against police violence on black people. It happens in every protest.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I think a majority was just there to protest
I think a majority was just there to plumb the depths of stupidity. A secondary goal: to see a federal prison from the inside for the next decade.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah I agree they are pathetic at being stupid.
The majority on here on the other hand is so ready to link the events back to the Russians. Don't let the Trumpists out-stupid you guys!
Re: (Score:2)
Remember the Dune scene where Barron Harkonnen is delighted at bringing down House Atreides? That's Putin and the Capitol. Don't understate the extent to which Putin helped bring it about. Yes, Americans had to be stupid first, but that is just Putin's raw materiel, he knows well what to do with stupidity, just look at what he did to Russia.
Re: (Score:2)
I would estimate the extent to which Putin helped bring it about to be around hm.. nothing. It is an American domestic affair.
But thanks for reminding me I wanted to watch that remake.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You left off the /s tag?
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
It was proven on fark.com that the looters at the BLM protests were right wing agitators (Proud Boys and a few other Neo-Nzi groups). They were not demonstrators! The insurrectionists at the Capitol were right wingers who were looking to overthrow the government. They had a guillotine set up and had zip ties that were to be used to kidnap the politicians. You cannot compare them to justified protesters.
--
www.fark.com/politics
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It was proven on fark.com that the looters at the BLM protests were right wing agitators
I recall seeing plenty of Police mug shots last year of known Antifa thugs caught in the act. So this must've really been some operation to infiltrate Antifa for years, build up a rap sheet, hope that a protest happens at some point where you can attack some armed citizens and then get shot and killed, all in the hope of blaming it in the other side?
Proud Boys
Lol Their leader is a half black half Hispanic guy. But sure, it's the white supremacy boogeyman...
You cannot compare them to justified protesters.
The No True Scotsmen Fallacy. There are idiots in every group
Re:Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:5, Insightful)
The vast majority of the people "there" though were "there" being DC and specifically within proximity (if not within) of the capitol building were there to overturn the election. The result of that would have been "People actually trying to make a coup".
The problem with listing 100 reasons people might be there is that you somewhat implicitly state that each person was there for a different reason so only 1% of the riot was there for a coup.
99% of the BLM crowd was there to protest racial violence. When you say "Some were there to protest racial violence" and "some were there to loot" there is a soft implication that the ratio is 50/50.
So sure maybe 75% of the people who entered the building weren't there to steal anything or assassinate government officials... but that same 75% wasn't just walking down the street and saw people entering the capitol and thought that would be fun. They still were part of the crowd that hoped to peacefully overturn a legal election.
Re:Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:4, Insightful)
These people, each one of them, fully intended to usurp democracy.
Re:Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
So sure maybe 75% of the people who entered the building weren't there to steal anything or assassinate government officials...
How many people were protesting outside the Capitol? How many of those entered the building? I have no idea, and I'm happy for those people to be arrested, just as I expected BLM lawbreakers to be arrested, not encouraged by elected officials.
Re: (Score:3)
Kind of like the prosecutors in old Salem just wanted to audit women to make sure they weren't witches. When they were tried and found not to be witches at trial, they happily accepted the results of the trial... Oh, whoops, no they didn't, they just tried them again, and again, and again until the verdict came up "Witch!" and then they killed them. The fact is, these people are chasing after a particular result and will not accept anything else. They claim to want the truth, but they think that they alread
Re: (Score:2)
Kind of like the prosecutors in old Salem just wanted to audit women to make sure they weren't witches. When they were tried and found not to be witches at trial, they happily accepted the results of the trial... Oh, whoops, no they didn't, they just tried them again, and again, and again until the verdict came up "Witch!
Sounds like the Democrats and their demands for impeachment.
Re: (Score:2)
Sounds like the Democrats and their demands for impeachment
Not at all really, for a few critical reasons. The situation I described with the Salem witch trials was double jeopardy. They got to keep on prosecuting and prosecuting the same thing until they got a guilty verdict. The situation with Trump's second impeachment is not double jeopardy because the second impeachment is not for the same thing at all. Trump and his enablers are big fans of claiming that everything is "settled" or "litigated" and now all over and now nothing can be done. The reality is that he
Re: (Score:2)
Feel free to nitpick, there's certainly lots of room for it in legal arguments. Ultimately though, this seems to boil down to whether there is a parallel between rioters in the capitol killing and beating police officers, smearing feces on the wall, trying to hang the Vice President and others, etc. all based on unhinged legal theories and an ordered legal process to remove an unfit President. I don't think there's any winning argument on the rioters side.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem was that there had already been audits of election--in some cases, multiple audits. They just didn't like the results. So, yeah, I'd say "coup."
Re: (Score:2)
- Russian spies, or any member of some intelligence agency
A yes the people specifically known to be all for being filmed unmasked performing crime. Perhaps you should reconsider trusting whoever sold you this stupid idea.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
No, that was an interview on Russian TV, with a Russian interviewer who was trying to be compliant but struggling to keep a straight face at how ludicrous it was.
Re:Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:5, Insightful)
No other protest tried to overthrow the government of the united states.
Re: (Score:2)
Antifa, the Weather Underground, the cult of Charles Manson, and the bombers in Oklahoma City have all sought to spark a violent overthrow of the USA. None have been as competent or successful as the Trump election coup a few weeks ago, but it's hardly a new phenomenon. Other examples include the Richmond Bread Riots of 1863 and Shay's Rebellion in 1786.
It's not an annual event in the USA as it is in some parts of the world, but it's certainly not the first attempt to overthrow a government in the USA.
Re: (Score:2)
They aren't equivalent. Those groups were targeting some specific displeasure against the government. Except for Antifa (which isn't really a group as such and doesn't really deserve to be lumped with the actual significant groups you mentioned afterwards) they all attempted to achieve something very specific and none of that included simply just disagreeing with an election outcome and wanting the other party in power.
Violent actions against the government are not new. An insurrection at the Capitol and se
Re: (Score:2)
Well, if that was the most "competent or successful" I feel better about the long-term prospects of our nation.
Re: (Score:2)
At the root, the statement "Soap box, jury box, ballot box, ammo box" is sedition. Once you lose it in the ballot box, you lose. Loser does not get to shoot his way to victory. Election fraud is fraud and it should be handled as law enforcement problem, by the courts, not by random i
Re: (Score:2)
A problem with that is that the sedition you're talking about is actually baked into our founding. If you'll read their writings, the Founding Fathers actually *intended* that the citizenry rise up against an oppressive government, and part of the intent of the 2nd Amendment was to facilitate that. Thomas Jefferson said that from time to time, the tree of liberty has to be watered with the blood of tyrants. Our government is self-contradictory in this regard - it is actively supposed to defend our right and
Re: (Score:2)
Of all the pernicious Big Lies, this is one of the biggest. That the framers wanted their own constitution to be thrown into the garbage heap by a bunch of people with guns.
For the late 1700. Take present day, 2021. The Second Amendment is the most racially differentially enforced law of the land. Any black/brown/red American seen with a gun can be shot by police and no questions will be aske
Re: (Score:3)
I think a majority was just there to protest, and went in for the lack of resistance.
They're still going to get a big, probably expensive, lesson in the meaning of "unlawful entry".
Re: (Score:2)
True. But imagine you are one of the worst of the foreign agents. You egg on the idiots to riot, thus preventing the police from catching you because you are surrounded by idiot criminals. You sneak into Capital, do you nefarious plot, and sneak out. You immediately head back to your country's embassy, safe and sound.
You have left your unwitting idiotic co-conspirators to face the music.
As they SHOULD. Committing a crime out of ignorance is still a crime. They have actively aided foreign agents.
Re: (Score:2)
i would _not_ go to the embassy. Drop off any material in as safe of a dropbox, or transmit it electronically, as quickly as possible. But embassies are monitored Why blow your cover?
Sweeping the capitol for listening devices and booby traps has doubtless been a major part of recovering from the attack. Even a fool who simply knows a it about plumbing could create dangerous traps.
Re: (Score:2)
Your cover is going to be blown by the surveillance at the Capitol, not to mention the smartphone-using self-incriminating idiots. You'd go straight to an airport or other exfiltration site.
Re:Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:5, Insightful)
I think a majority was just there to protest
No, the majority were there to overturn an election because the guy they liked lost.
Some of them were willing to go a bit further in their efforts to overturn that election. That not all of them were planning to go so far doesn't change why they were there.
Re: (Score:2)
> - Russian spies, or any member of some intelligence agency
Imagine the number of camera, microphone, network sniffer, they installed everywhere, it's incredible...
Re: (Score:2)
I actually thought about going, just to show my appreciation for the president, but I personally believe he should have conceded when the last state certified.
That said, I would LOVE to have Nancy Pelosi's podium just for the bragging rights.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
A few of the folks appear to be riot tourists, showing up if one appears to be in the offing.
Feels great to be a thug kind of people. Seemed like a good idea at the time. And now they will learn how great it feels to be an arrested thug.
Re: Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:3)
I've been a riot tourist, wasn't so bad...
So about 8 years ago I find myself carrying a suitcase across Syntagma square in the middle of the night from one shitty hotel to another (I wanted a phone and internet) , except there was this angry riot of people upset about something corruption something or other in the way. I couldn't make it all out, it was mostly just Greek to me. Except a good thirty percent of them were from Spain, some from Italy. I couldn't help but think that what they all really need
Re: (Score:2)
You're drunk.
Re: Not everyone was there for the same reason (Score:3)
I wish.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... [wikipedia.org]
Yesterday was MLK day. What he and M. Ghandi achieved without firing a shot is nothing short of miraculous.
I do think a majority of the people at the Capitol and in all the BLM riots were harmless idiots and that most of the unrest over the last year has underlying factors that are being ignored. Trump has always been a distraction from any real fundamental issue.
Re: (Score:2)
No need to read further or try to reason with you, you've already drunk the kool-aid.
But more importantly... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Because "fuck-buddy" isn't PC?
Denying the obvious (Score:5, Insightful)
After 4 years decrying "the Russia hoax", when a Trump believer wants to help Trump out where does she think to send the laptop?
Russia.
I suppose myself and a hard core Trump supporter do agree on one thing. We think there's at least an informal alliance between Russia and Trump.
Re: (Score:3)
There is an alignment between Russia and Trump but it is highly unlikely that two highly chaotic agents would be able to form an alliance of any sort. They both have and continue to have goals in America; even though those goals are different they are accomplished the same way. And they both have a tendency to utilize conservative angst to drum up the far right to achieve politica
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
But I implore you to seriously consider that you are being divisive. I find it fun
Hollywood (Score:2)
As far as I know possession of stolen goods is a crime in RF. The girl would get herself arrested and the notebook would be returned to the owner. The same as in any other country.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Do you really believe governments do not value the intelligence that may be on the laptop of a very high official of another government?
You are correct that the Russian government would take away the laptop. However, the laptop would not be returned.
Re: (Score:2)
Besides, this official is a lady. The laptop would be confiscated and immediately returned to the owner by the diplomatic channels.
If it were not for assistance of the USA in winter 1941, there would not be neither RF nor Russian people in this world. And only a person who watched too many Hollywood movies may think that the laptop stolen from this lady, representing the Am
Re: (Score:2)
I do not believe anybody in RF would buy a laptop of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from a street girl.
Which is why I said the Russian government would take the laptop, not buy the laptop.
The laptop would be confiscated and immediately returned to the owner by the diplomatic channels.
ROFL.
If it were not for assistance of the USA in winter 1941, there would not be neither RF nor Russian people in this world
There may have been just a few intervening events between 1941 and now. Such as this minor bit of history called "The Cold War". And "we will bury you" is not generally considered an expression of gratitude.
(Not to say the US behaved entirely properly during that time)
How To Screw Your Life 101 (Score:2)
A Pennsylvania woman accused of being one of the Capitol rioters told a former "romantic partner" that she planned to steal a laptop computer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office and sell it to Russian intelligence, court documents revealed Monday.
If the allegations happen to be true (remember, innocent till proven guilty), then that's one serious fuck-up, and this lady might as well say good by to the light of day, forever.
I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be true, as stupid as it is. I witnessed something similar when I used to work in the defense industry, a cleaning lady stealing USB drives from a defense contractor. The theft was easy to detect and trace back (you know, cameras and shit.)
Stealing equipment is never worth it, speci
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I disagree, Cuba is extremely sunny.
What does that have to do with anything?
Traitors (Score:2)
In WW2 the homegrown British fascists were all part of the privileged old school tie establishment figures like Mosley and Rothermere.
The same was true during the cold war when the biggest traitors to the UK were all members of the privileged old school tie establishment, the Cambridge Six.
The same is true today in the UK with the old school establishment forcing through brexit at the cost of the people's civil and employment rights so they can seize back control.
The US is the same, those betraying the coun
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
She's in the jailhouse now (Score:2)
So, lets see (Score:2)
Police were beaten and threatened with killing them with their own firearms.
Many of these ppl were planning on holding CONgressmen/women/Senators hostage
Others were purposely going to murder our represenatives.
More were planning on turning over national security intel to the Russian (like Trump has not done enough of that)
And yet, this trash call themselves patriots? They claim to support the police, while threatening them.
Expulsion is not punishment. (Score:2)
Rotting in a US prison for life without hope of release is punishment, but since she's female she won't do hard time.
Traitors are best executed. It's a proper "barrier to entry" and treason forfeits mercy, the traitor having proved itself worthless.
Re:Does anyone actually BELIEVE these stories? (Score:5, Insightful)
An intelligent person wouldn't be caught on camera committing felonies, but here we are.
Re: (Score:2)
An intelligent person wouldn't be caught on camera committing felonies, but here we are.
It's okay to film yourself committing felonies if the president told you to do it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
First it was not some generic "court papers" it was an affidavit which means someone gave a complaint and signed that it was truthful.
I could swear an affidavit that the Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. And it wouldn't be worth the electrons I wasted to type this comment.
Re: (Score:2)