A resident of Kentucky, who is currently facing charges related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol, is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly taking a laptop that belonged to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Recently unsealed court documents provide insight into this ongoing investigation.
David Slinker was apprehended on October 29 near Edmonton, Kentucky, facing minor charges. During a search of his home in November 2023, FBI agents did not locate the stolen laptop. While Slinker has not been officially charged with theft, an affidavit from an FBI agent suggests that he left the Capitol with the laptop concealed in his backpack, assisted by fellow rioters who helped him take the device from a conference room.
The details of Slinker’s case were kept confidential until he made his first court appearance last Friday, at which point a federal magistrate judge granted his release. One of Slinker’s attorneys, Barry Coburn, chose not to comment on the allegations against his client.
Slinker is among the more than 1,500 individuals facing federal charges related to the events of the Capitol riot. Many of these defendants have requested pauses in their cases following the recent presidential election. Despite the potential for pardons promised by President-elect Donald Trump for those involved in the riot, the Justice Department has continued with arrests and prosecutions of these individuals.
On the day of the riot, Slinker flew from Louisville, Kentucky, to Washington, D.C. Following attendance at then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House, he proceeded to the Capitol, entering through the Senate Wing Doors and heading toward Pelosi’s office suite, according to the affidavit.
Within a conference room at the Capitol, Slinker and other rioters discovered Pelosi’s laptop, which contained a sticky note on the keyboard that appeared to include passwords. According to FBI reports, Slinker climbed onto a conference table, taking a selfie with the laptop in the background.
The affidavit notes that after posing for the photo, Slinker became more inquisitive about the laptop, examining the keyboard using his knuckle instead of his fingertip. Another rioter, Maryann Mooney-Rondon, allegedly encouraged Slinker to take the laptop, suggesting it might be intriguing to view its contents. Her son, Rafael Rondon, cautioned them about not leaving fingerprints. Subsequently, Slinker attempted to close the laptop with his elbows and sought to move it.
Rafael Rondon was reportedly involved in disconnecting the cables from the laptop and placing it in Slinker’s bag. Slinker exited the conference room wearing a backpack, as per the affidavit’s account. Surveillance footage indicates that he momentarily removed and then put the backpack back on before leaving the room.
The FBI also investigated the residence of Mooney-Rondon and her son but did not recover the laptop there. In November 2023, Mooney-Rondon received a probation sentence following a conviction related to the laptop theft. However, after an appeals court annulled her conviction, a resentencing hearing has been scheduled for the following Tuesday. Rafael Rondon also received probation after pleading guilty to charges associated with the riot.