A 35-year-old Albany woman has been arrested and charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired bombing at New York’s State Capitol, where authorities say she intended to target lawmakers.
Jessica Bowie has been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. According to a federal criminal complaint, Bowie allegedly planned to place a bomb inside a DoorDash delivery bag and use it to attack the Capitol building in Albany.
Investigators say Bowie began planning the attack in July after pledging allegiance to ISIS. She allegedly spent weeks surveilling the Capitol, photographing the building from different locations and identifying potential vantage points, including an observation hall nearby.
The complaint alleges that Bowie purchased materials that could be used to construct a bomb from a hardware store on August 5. She then continued discussing the planned attack with FBI informants over the following two weeks.
Bowie had reportedly converted to Islam approximately five years ago before eventually pledging allegiance to ISIS, according to the complaint.
During an interview with FBI agents, Bowie allegedly acknowledged the seriousness of the charges she could face.
“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough, there’s no helping me, I’m … going to prison for the rest of my life,” Bowie reportedly told investigators.
She also demonstrated that she had researched the potential consequences of providing material support to a terrorist organization.
“Material support is up to 20 years in prison, I already Googled it before, I know I’m going to jail,” Bowie said, according to the complaint.
The investigation involved FBI informants who communicated with Bowie while she allegedly developed the plot. On Wednesday, the informants met with her and provided an inert explosive device and an inert firearm as part of the undercover operation.
Bowie was arrested shortly afterward.
Authorities allege that the planned attack was intended to kill members of the New York State Legislature. The investigation remains ongoing, and Bowie now faces a federal charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
