Pennsylvania woman accused of stealing Pelosi’s laptop allowed to visit Renaissance Faire again

A Cumberland County woman on house arrest for allegedly stealing Nancy Pelosi’s laptop during the U.S. Capitol riots will be allowed to attend the Renaissance Faire this weekend for the second time in two months.

A federal judge has ruled 25-year-old Riley J. Williams, of Mechanicsburg, will be allowed out of house arrest from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday to attend the Faire in Manheim, Lancaster County, according to court documents.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Dalke concurred with Williams’ request, according to her motion, which was filed Tuesday.

Williams was put on house arrest Jan. 21, 2021, and under the order cannot leave home except for employment, education, religious, medical or legal reasons.

She was previously allowed out of house arrest for eight hours to visit the Renaissance Faire in August.

Williams is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; theft of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricting building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.

Federal investigators said Williams broke into the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021, and stole Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s laptop before later disposing of it.

She was arrested Jan. 18 after police said she participated in the Jan. 6 riots, and later indicted on the charges related to Pelosi’s laptop on Oct. 6.

The FBI investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection revealed video and photos of a woman that appears to be Williams encouraging people to go inside the Capitol during the riot and directing members of the mob once inside. Posts and video on social media apps, apparently made by Williams, also claimed that she stole Pelosi’s laptop.

Williams does not yet have a trial date. Judge Amy Jackson previously denied Williams’ request to transfer her trial out of Washington, D.C. back to central Pennsylvania.