An ISIS-inspired militant was arrested for allegedly plotting a deadly attack on the New York State Capitol in Albany, the FBI said Thursday.
Jessica Bowie, 35, pledged allegiance to the Islamist terror group and began planning the attack in July, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News. She allegedly purchased bomb materials from a hardware store on Aug. 5 and planned the attack with the help of FBI informants for two weeks, the feds said.
Bowie, who converted to Islam five years ago, also allegedly tracked the Capitol building for weeks, taking pictures from various vantage points including an “observation hall nearby,” according to the complaint. The FBI informants met Bowie Wednesday and gave her an inert explosive device and an inert handgun, along with instructions on how to detonate the bomb, the complaint said.
She was soon arrested and appeared to offer a partial confession during her interview with FBI agents, according to the complaint.
“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,” she allegedly said.
“Material support is up to 20 years in prison, I already Googled it before, I know I’m going to jail,” she allegedly added.
Gov. Kathy Hochul thanked the FBI and local law enforcement for their work in a statement Thursday.
“Earlier this year, amid a rise in political violence and threats against public officials, we took steps to strengthen security at the State Capitol and across state government,” she said in a statement.
“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 continued.
The suspect converted to Islam about five years ago and in messages with unidentified users pledged support to ISIS, the criminal complaint said. Bowie had allegedly discussed her plans with FBI informants and spent weeks doing surveillance of the Capitol, including taking pictures from various vantage points, including an “observation hall nearby,” the criminal complaint said.
The informants allegedly met with Bowie on Wednesday and provided her with an inert explosive device and an inert handgun along with instructions on how to detonate the explosive, the complaint said. The FBI soon arrested her, the complaint said.
Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available. The FBI arrested the woman Wednesday after the sting operation culminated with the handoff of the inert weapons, according to the complaint.
This is a developing story.