“She was profane. She was obnoxious. She was threatening. She organized others to forcibly resist.” Those were the words of Federal District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson speaking about January 6 insurrectionist and laptop thief Riley Williams, who was convicted for her role in the Trumpist insurrection / coup at the Capitol. Williams, now 23, faced six charges, including two felonies: participating in a civil disorder and impeding officers who tried to clear the Capitol Rotunda. The jury couldn't reach consensus on whether she obstructed Congress or abetted the theft of Speaker Pelosi's laptop. More charges are pending regarding her attempt to avoid prosecution.
Williams' defense attorney tried to give her a makeover in court, portraying her as "naive" and caught up in the moment. Prosecutors successfully proved the opposite, per Politico's report:
"But prosecutors said Williams didn’t need to show up armed to commit the crimes she’s charged with. Rather, she jumped at the chance to join the mob breaching the Capitol, urged rioters to 'take that fucking laptop' from Pelosi’s office, and counseled one to 'put on gloves' as he tried to remove it.
Later, she joined a melee in the rotunda, turning her back on police and pushing against them. Videos suggest she also urged others in the crowd to lock arms and band together to push back against the police line. An officer involved in the skirmish described it for jurors earlier in the trial and recalled her pushing against him." (our emphasis)
She's a nasty piece of work, who taunted lawmakers and staffs cowering in the Capitol in fear of their lives, and who holds white supremacist beliefs:
"Prosecutors described Williams as a 'Groyper' — a term for acolytes of white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who spent weeks prodding listeners to his podcast to oppose the transfer of power to Joe Biden. Williams wore an 'I’m with Groyper' shirt during the Jan. 6 riot and sent Groyper-associated memes to her friends mocking Democrats for cowering amid the violence at the Capitol. One of Williams’ ex-boyfriends testified during the trial that she had become obsessed with Fuentes’ podcast in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6." (our emphasis)
Judge Jackson remanded Williams to Federal prison while awaiting sentencing in February, noting that Williams tried to cover up her conduct, that she was "packed" and ready to disappear after she was aware law enforcement was after her, and was a clear flight risk.
(photo: Lock her up! Department of Justice)
