Jessica Bowie, 35, an Albany resident, was arrested by FBI agents Wednesday after purchasing what she believed to be a live explosive device intended for use against the New York State Capitol.
Bowie made her initial appearance in federal court Thursday and faces one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Craig Tremaroli, FBI special agent in charge of the Albany field office, said Bowie had pledged allegiance to ISIS and stated “her desire to carry out an attack at the New York State Capitol.”
John Sarcone, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, announced the charge, which carries serious federal penalties under counterterrorism statutes.
Court documents reveal that Bowie converted to Islam approximately five years ago, began going by the name “Aisha Saif,” and used multiple online accounts to communicate support for terrorism between May and July 2026.
On May 28, 2026, Bowie allegedly told another user in Arabic via social media: “Praise be to Allah for September 11th” and “When I can migrate, I will poison these infidels.”
Investigators say Bowie conducted surveillance of the New York State Capitol on five separate occasions between July and August, photographing the building from multiple vantage points including an “observation hall nearby.”
She allegedly purchased bomb-making materials at a hardware store on August 5 and spent the following two weeks coordinating plans with FBI informants, who later provided her with an inert explosive device and a non-working handgun.
Bowie allegedly told an informant: “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting,” specifically targeting a session of the state legislature.
She discussed disguising the bomb inside a DoorDash delivery bag and allegedly planned to flee to Syria to join ISIS-controlled territories following the attack, later returning to strike again.
Tremaroli confirmed that Bowie had also discussed future attacks, including a strike in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, as well as plots targeting the White House and the president.
Bowie was arrested on August 19 after acquiring the DoorDash bag and nail components intended as shrapnel, at which point she allegedly told agents: “There’s no helping me, you guys know enough.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the response from law enforcement, stating: “I’m grateful to the FBI for leading this investigation and to the New York State Police for their work to apprehend this dangerous individual.”
An official noted the FBI has prevented more than 400 individuals from carrying out similar attacks in 2026, underscoring the scale of the ongoing domestic terrorism threat.
Tremaroli described ISIS as “one of the most vicious organizations” intent on killing Americans, adding: “We’re moving more decisively than ever to identify, locate, arrest criminals before they can carry out their alleged plots.”
