The FBI announced Thursday that it had thwarted a plot to bomb the New York State Capitol in Albany, arresting a 35-year-old city resident who, according to a criminal complaint, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and planned to kill state senators inside the building.
Jessica Bowie was arrested on Wednesday, August 19, minutes after receiving what she believed to be a functioning explosive device from FBI agents, and appeared in federal court the next day on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization . If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The most crucial element of the case is that, as the court documents show, Bowie never spoke with actual ISIS members . From July 16 to August 17, she exchanged messages with at least one confidential FBI source posing as an intermediary for the organization — in total, according to the Times Union, she met with three undercover agents of the authorities.
To them, he described in detail what he wanted to do: “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are in session,” he allegedly wrote, adding that he also wanted “many important documents” to be lost.
The case began earlier. Craig Tremaroli , head of the FBI’s Albany office, said the 35-year-old began posting anti-American rhetoric on social media accounts in late May, and recorded and circulated audio recordings of her pledge of allegiance — the so-called “bayah” — in English and Arabic. According to court documents, she had converted to Islam about five years ago and used the name Aisha Saif .
On one of her accounts, she had written “glory to Allah for September 11,” while, as Tremaroli reported, she told an FBI source that after 2001 she went from being a little girl holding an American flag to having stickers of the towers collapsing.
The on-site reconnaissance was systematic. Bowie visited the Capitol — less than two miles from her home — five times between July 21 and August 9 , photographing the building from different vantage points, including an adjacent observation room. Cameras and surveillance teams recorded her roaming the complex. She had settled, according to the complaint, on the Washington Avenue entrance on the north side as a place to place the device, and discussed the possibility of disguising it inside a DoorDash food delivery bag .
On August 5, after her alleged allies explained to her that she would need nails and other materials, she directed them to a Home Depot in Rensselaer , accepted $200 and bought a large plastic container full of nails — footage of the purchase was released by the Justice Department. That same day, she allegedly said, “We absolutely want the senators killed.” She had been told that the building could accommodate up to 200 people and, the complaint states, hoped to kill at least half of them.
On Wednesday, she also requested a firearm , paying $150 for a pistol, magazine and ammunition so that she could return fire if officers approached her during the operation. She paid an additional $200 as a “donation” to have more devices made. The agents gave her an inert explosive device along with instructions for detonating it. She was arrested as she exited the vehicle near a fast-food restaurant. She was also found in possession of knives and her handwritten pledge of allegiance. She reportedly told investigators that there was nothing that could help her and that she knew she would spend the rest of her life in prison.
The plan didn’t stop in Albany. The 35-year-old had planned to flee to Syria , to areas controlled by ISIS, and return later for more strikes — including in Times Square on New Year’s Eve , as well as the White House and the president. Asked why she chose the state Capitol, she said that ideally she would have targeted the White House , “but that’s even harder.” She had also considered Albany City Hall, before settling on senators, whom she considered responsible for laws offensive to Islam. Exactly when she intended to act remains unclear , as the legislative session has been suspended since June.
The First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, John Sarcone , called the charges “deeply troubling” and spoke of “an attack on democracy itself,” noting that the defendant was radicalized online. Governor Kathy Hochul thanked the FBI and state police, recalling that earlier this year security was increased at the Capitol and government offices, “amid an increase in political violence and threats against public officials.” As she stressed, there is no immediate threat at this time.
Bowie, who has no prior arrests, is being held in the Schenectady County Jail, and it was not immediately clear whether she had been assigned a lawyer. The investigation, which involved the Secret Service, state police and Albany police, remains ongoing , with authorities investigating whether she acted alone.
