A Kentucky man charged with storming the United States Capitol is suspected by the FBI of taking then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s laptop from a conference room during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, According to newly unsealed court records.
On October 29, authorities arrested David Slinker on misdemeanor charges near Edmonton, Kentucky. When FBI officials investigated Slinker’s Kentucky house in November 2023, they did not uncover the stolen laptop.
According to an FBI agent’s affidavit, Slinker left the Capitol with the stolen computer in his backpack after other rioters helped him remove it from a conference room.
Slinker’s case remained sealed until his first court appearance last Friday. A federal magistrate judge ordered his release.
Slinker’s attorney, Barry Coburn, declined to comment on the charges.
Slinker is among the more than 1,500 people charged with federal charges in connection with the Capitol disturbance. Following last week’s presidential election, many of them have asked that their cases be postponed. Despite President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to pardon rioters, the Justice Department has continued to arrest and prosecute Capitol rioters.
On the day of the violence, Slinker flew from Louisville, Kentucky, to Washington, D.C. Before traveling to the Capitol, he joined then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” event near the White House. Slinker entered the building through the Senate Wing Doors and proceeded to Pelosi’s office suite, according to the affidavit.
According to the FBI, Slinker and other rioters discovered a laptop belonging to Pelosi in a conference room. A sticky note on the keyboard appeared to contain credentials for accessing the computer.
The FBI reported that Slinker climbed onto a conference table and seemed to pose for a selfie with the laptop visible in the backdrop.
“Shortly after Slinker posed on the table, he made his way back to the laptop and began to examine it more closely, touching the keyboard with his knuckle rather than the pad of his finger,” according to the testimony.
Maryann Mooney-Rondon, another rioter, suggested that Slinker steal the laptop, stating, “It would be interesting to see what’s on that hard drive.” Her son, Rafael Rondon, urged them not to leave any fingerprints on the item. According to the affidavit, Slinker closed his laptop with his elbows and attempted to relocate it.
According to the affidavit, Rafael Rondon unplugged the laptop’s cords and placed it in Slinker’s bag before leaving the meeting room and exiting the Capitol with a rucksack on his shoulders.
According to the affidavit, surveillance video showed Slinker removing his backpack before leaving the conference room and then placing it back on his shoulders as he exited.
“This is consistent with Rondon’s recollection that he assisted Slinker in putting the speaker’s laptop into Slinker’s bag,” the representative stated in the letter.
The FBI also looked into the homes of Mooney-Rondon and her son, but they found no laptop there.
In November 2023, a judge sentenced Mooney-Rondon to probation after finding her guilty of charges including theft of government property for the stolen laptop. The judge ordered a resentencing hearing for Mooney-Rondon next Tuesday after an appeals court overturned his conviction.
After pleading guilty to riot-related felony charges, Rafael Rondon also received a probationary sentence.