LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The FBI has charged a woman for her alleged role in the Capitol riots in January.
Annie Howell of Swoyersville is now facing federal charges.
According to the FBI, Howell was not only among those who crashed the Capitol building.
Witnesses directed agents to Howell's Facebook page that showed her posts from that day where Howell reportedly is seen inciting the crowd to storm the building.
"They took it more as a joke, sitting at Nancy Pelosi's desk, to holding the flag, smashing this and taking this. They had no regard of what they did,” said Chuck Jankoviak of Swoyersville, talking about all the rioters.
Agents say a witness showed them a 27-second video that Howell posted of a ransacked conference room littered with broken furniture and televisions ripped off the walls.
In that video, roughly 20 people are seen and heard chanting "Who's house? Our House!" being led by a female voice that a witness said is Howell's.
People here in Luzerne County say this is a perfect example of why you should think twice before posting anything to social media.
"Whatever you put out now, could always come back,” said Kerry Sheridan from Wyoming. "So yeah, I think that people just don't realize that once it's out there, it's out there.”
A search warrant was executed on Howell's Facebook on January 26, agents say it shows Howell changed her phone to the factory settings.
The FBI says that was an attempt to make sure law enforcement would not find incriminating evidence if Howell's phone was seized.
Attempts to find Howell or her federal public defender have been unsuccessful.