BY RT INTERNATIONAL
A Pennsylvania woman who was among a crowd of protesters that breached the US Capitol building during the January 6, 2021, riot in Washington DC was sentenced on Thursday to 36 months in prison. Riley Williams, who was convicted last November, gained notoriety over her alleged role in the theft of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosiâs laptop.
Williams, who was 22 at the time of her crimes, was branded by prosecutors as âamong the worstâ rioters and âan accelerant, exacerbating the mayhem.â She was found guilty of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, of resisting or impeding law enforcement officers, and of four associated misdemeanor offenses.
The jury was deadlocked on the charge related to the laptop of then-House Speaker Pelosi. The US government also accused Williams of obstructing an official proceeding, but failed to convince the jury on that charge either. The prosecution consequently dismissed both charges.
According to the Justice Department, during the Capitol breach Williams âdirected other rioters, pushed against officers, and took video, audio, and photo recordings of her activities. She also threw a water bottle at police officers and called them traitors.â She then wiped her computer âwith commercial-grade softwareâ six times, according to prosecutors.
Williams explained that in January 2021 she was âa young and stupid girlâ who âwas addicted to the internetâ and made an error in judgment by believing claims about the 2020 presidential elections by outgoing President Donald Trump and his supporters. She apologized for her actions and said there was âno justification or excuse for my behavior.â
Judge Amy Berman Jackson called Williamsâ conduct âutterly reprehensibleâ and dismissed her claim that her young age was a mitigating factor.
Williams has been held in custody since her conviction, meaning the four months that have passed since will be deducted from her prison term.
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