Federal authorities say they stopped an alleged ISIS-inspired plot to bomb the New York state Capitol in Albany and kill state lawmakers before the attack could be carried out.
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, was arrested Wednesday after investigators said she took possession of what she believed was an explosive device intended for an attack on the state Capitol.
Bowie, who converted to Islam and allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS, made her initial appearance in federal court on Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on the same day that she had been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
She was arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Albany, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone told reporters Thursday, according to NBC News.
Craig Tremaroli, FBI special agent in charge of the Albany field office, said Bowie was arrested after buying what she believed to be an explosive device and stating “her desire to carry out an attack at the New York state Capitol,” according to CNN.
“The FBI detected and stopped an alleged plot to attack the New York state Capitol and kill elected officials,” Operations Director Matt Fodor of the FBI National Security Branch stated. “According to the criminal complaint, the defendant in this case swore allegiance to ISIS and wanted to follow up with additional horrific acts of terrorism.”
“This case is yet another example of how this FBI is built to not only identify threats of terrorism quickly, but to stop their alleged plots before they are able to harm the American people,” Fodor continued. “I want to commend the FBI Albany Field Office, the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in this case. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the U.S. homeland.”
According to the criminal complaint, Bowie converted to Islam five years ago and adopted a “kunya,” which is an honorific name in the Islamic tradition. She reportedly adopted the name “Aisha Saif,” according to The Daily Caller. Bowie reportedly created multiple social media accounts and used her platform to espouse anti-American sentiments.
Between May and July, several accounts traced back to Bowie sent messages that expressed support for terrorism, the complaint stated. On May 28, Bowie wrote in Arabic to another social media user, “Praise be to Allah for September 11.”
The convert also pledged her allegiance to ISIS in multiple audio recordings, according to the complaint. Around mid-July through at least Aug. 17, Bowie is said to have communicated with an FBI source posing as an ISIS facilitator.
In a July 16 conversation with the FBI operative, Bowie allegedly claimed she would like to carry out an attack on the state capitol, which she said was “less than 2 miles” from her and that she wanted “to do something to benefit the ummah and harm the enemies of God.”
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning “community” or “nation.” In Islam, it refers to the worldwide collective body of Muslim believers united by a shared faith in God and the teachings of the Quran. The complaint noted that ISIS “narrows the term community down to refer to its own active members and loyal supporters.”
According to the complaint, between July 21 and Aug. 9, Bowie walked around the New York Capitol on five separate occasions. Surveillance teams and security cameras observed the suspect taking pictures of the building and surrounding area.
A July 29 statement included in the complaint allegedly shows Bowie’s plan to attack the New York Capitol, stating: “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting. I want them to lose [a lot] of important documents as well.”
Bowie also met with two other FBI sources on Aug. 19, during which she was recorded attempting to purchase a firearm, a magazine and ammunition. One of the confidential sources showed Bowie an inert explosive device built from items she had purchased using $200 supplied by an informant from a Home Depot in Rensselaer, New York, on Aug. 5, the complaint said, according to Newsweek. Bowie reportedly planned to conceal the finished device inside a DoorDash food delivery bag, GB News reported.
During the meeting, Bowie allegedly said she learned that the Capitol contained as many as 200 people, and she “hoped she could take out at least half of that.” The FBI arrested the suspect later that day and discovered knives and a handwritten bayah on her person.
Bayah is an Islamic term that means an oath or pledge of allegiance to a leader.
“As alleged, Bowie plotted to deploy an explosive device at the New York state Capitol, intending to kill public officials and to destroy ‘as much of the building as possible’ before fleeing to ISIS‑controlled territory in Syria,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement about the intended attack.
“The National Security Division and our law-enforcement partners are committed to the painstaking work of preventing plots like this from succeeding and securing convictions against those who attempt such plots,” Eisenberg added.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
