FBI Foils Alleged ISIS-Inspired Bomb Plot Targeting New York State Capitol
An Albany woman is facing a federal terrorism charge after the FBI says she spent weeks surveilling the New York State Capitol and plotting to detonate a bomb inside while lawmakers were in session.
Jessica Bowie, 35, was arrested Wednesday by the FBI Albany Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, as The New York Times also reported. She was expected in federal court Thursday afternoon.
Albany Woman Accused Of Plotting Attack On State Capitol
According to the complaint, Bowie converted to Islam about five years ago and began going by the name Aisha Saif. Investigators say she used multiple social media accounts to express support for ISIS and spread anti-American messages, including a post referencing September 11.
The Capitol building sits less than two miles from Bowie's home. Prosecutors say she told an FBI source she wanted to target it specifically because of its proximity and its symbolism.
Capitol Surveillance Ran For Weeks Before Arrest
Court documents allege Bowie visited the Capitol grounds at least five times between July 21 and August 9, photographing the building from multiple vantage points, including a nearby observation hall. During that stretch, she allegedly discussed disguising an explosive device inside a food delivery bag and timing the attack for when state senators would be meeting.
FBI Albany Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli said Bowie allegedly wanted "to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting," according to details first reported by Fox News.
Undercover Source Communicated With Bowie For A Month
The complaint says Bowie communicated between July 16 and August 17 with a confidential FBI source who was posing online as an ISIS facilitator. On Wednesday, she allegedly met with the source and left with what she believed was a live explosive device and a working handgun. Both had been rendered inert by federal agents. Agents also say they recovered knives and a handwritten pledge of allegiance to ISIS from Bowie at the time of her arrest.
Officials say Bowie told the source she planned to flee to Syria after the attack and, if she evaded capture, hoped to plan future targets.
Hochul Points To Earlier Security Upgrades At The Capitol
Gov. Kathy Hochul addressed the arrest in a statement Thursday, saying her administration had already strengthened security at the Capitol and across state government earlier this year in response to a broader rise in threats against public officials. She said there is currently no active or credible threat to the building.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, who is prosecuting the case for the Northern District of New York, said the alleged plot underscores the department's ongoing work to identify threats before they reach the public.
The charge Bowie faces, attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The case remains under investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and it has already drawn international attention, with the BBC covering the arrest overseas.
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