Albany woman charged in plotted ISIS-inspired attack on state Capitol

The FBI thwarted an alleged planned bombing of the state Capitol when they arrested a 35-year-old woman Wednesday who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to a complaint filed in federal court. 

The woman, Albany resident Jessica Bowie, was arrested near a McDonald’s after meeting in a car with FBI informants who had given Bowie an inert explosive device she intended to use to target the Capitol and state senators, per the criminal complaint.

“We definitely want to make sure the senators get killed for sure,” Bowie allegedly told an informant on Aug. 5. “That’s the most important part. Destroying the building too? That’s, that’s ideal …” 

Bowie, who investigators said also went by Aisha Saif, is charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 and a lifetime of supervised release. She does not have prior arrests, and is being held in Schenectady County Court.

The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and state and local police worked together on the case, spearheaded by First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John Sarcone III. Sarcone said Bowie, who’s originally from Schenectady, converted to Islam about five years ago and recently became radicalized to commit an act of domestic terrorism.

“She went from a little girl waving the American flag after 9/11 to now having stickers of the fallen towers,” Sarcone told reporters at the federal courthouse in Albany on Thursday, referring to something Bowie allegedly told an informant, according to the complaint. “Let that sink in: Miss Bowie didn’t just want to kill lawmakers, she wanted a complete disruption of our government.”

Albany FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli said Bowie started posting anti-American rhetoric on various social media accounts in late May, and sent messages expressing support for terrorism using unspecified encrypted messaging platforms. Police would not specify which platforms Bowie used, but Tremaroli said she swore her allegiance to ISIS through multiple audio recordings in both English and Arabic.

While it’s not clear how investigators became aware of Bowie’s intentions, her plans didn’t seem to be particularly sophisticated. In the weeks leading up to her arrest, Bowie repeatedly spoke with FBI informants – one of whom was posing as an ISIS facilitator – about her plans to carry out an attack on the state Capitol. She told the informant she wanted to attack the Capitol “ideally (on a) day when we know senators will be meeting.” But the Legislature has been out of session since June and is not set to return until January. Bowie did not appear to know that state lawmakers were not present, even though she’s from the area.

She went to the Capitol grounds at least five times between July 21 and Aug. 9, according to the complaint, taking dozens of photos to assess the site and observe security. 

“I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they're meeting,” Bowie told informants. “I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well.” She later told them that larger attacks, like on the White House, would be her ultimate goal.

Bowie bought materials to make an explosive device at Home Depot in Rensselaer, using $200 given to her by the informants, per the complaint. Bowie recounted to informants how she had a DoorDash delivery bag she could use to hold the explosive device, which she gave them, so that she could pose as a delivery worker to carry out the attack.

She also requested a gun to potentially shoot any police officer who tried to intercept her. When she met up with a confidential source of the FBI to retrieve the materials, she also made another $200 donation to the purported bomb maker. 

Police continue to investigate if Bowie worked alone and what led to her actions, investigators said Thursday. Officials would not comment on whether other state capitals across the country are facing an increase of similar threats.

Gov. Kathy Hochul thanked the agencies for the arrest, and said security was bolstered in the state Capitol and government agencies earlier this year. “While there is no immediate threat at this time, we will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” she said in a statement. 

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also thanked the authorities in a statement. “I am extremely grateful that law enforcement including the FBI and the State Police acted swiftly on this incident and the individual was apprehended before anything could happen,” she said. 

The FBI and police thwarted similar threats at the state Capitol in 2004 and 2016.