Albany Resident Accused of Plotting Bomb Attack on State Capitol

Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old resident of Albany, faces accusations from federal authorities for pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning a bomb attack on the New York State Capitol. According to an FBI complaint obtained by Newsweek, Bowie changed her name to ‘Aisha Saif’ after converting to Islam about five years ago and ran multiple social media accounts promoting extremist ideologies. She spent weeks surveying the Capitol before her arrest on August 19.

Investigators reveal she discussed obtaining explosives, sought a firearm, and identified state lawmakers as targets. Bowie is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Newsweek has contacted the FBI and the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul for comments.

Several social media profiles attributed to Bowie published messages supportive of terrorism between May and July, as noted in the criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. Allegedly, one of Bowie’s accounts stated, ‘Praise be to Allah for September 11th’ on May 28. Another account purportedly expressed intentions to ‘poison these infidels.’

In mid-July, Bowie communicated with an FBI source posing as an ISIS operative via encrypted messages, discussing plans to attack the Capitol building in Albany over two weeks. Between July 21 and August 9, Bowie conducted approximately five surveillance trips and transmitted dozens of images of the building to an FBI informant.

‘I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting,’ Bowie supposedly wrote on July 29, intending to impact the ‘American system.’

Using $200 provided by an informant, Bowie allegedly bought materials to construct an explosive device on August 5, including nails, electrical tape, a 9-volt battery, and acetone, from Home Depot.

‘I hope the nails are big enough … because the nails work as shrapnel, right?’ Bowie reportedly discussed with FBI informants after returning from the store.

Further updates on this developing story will follow.