Jessica Bowie, 35, told FBI informants she wanted to bomb the New York State Capitol on a day when the most senators would be present.
The Albany resident, who also went by the Islamic name Aisha Saif after converting to Islam roughly five years ago, was arrested Wednesday near a McDonald’s after taking possession of what she believed was a working explosive device, according to federal authorities. The device and a handgun she also obtained were inert, supplied by FBI operatives who had been tracking her for about five weeks.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said at a Thursday press conference in Albany that Bowie had been “radicalized online” and had undergone a stark transformation. “She went from a little girl waving the American flag after 9/11 to now having stickers of the fallen towers,” Sarcone told reporters, referring to statements Bowie allegedly made to informants. “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 began posting anti-American rhetoric on various social media accounts in late May and sent messages expressing support for terrorism using encrypted messaging platforms. Tremaroli said she swore allegiance to ISIS through multiple audio recordings in both English and Arabic. A social media account linked to Bowie allegedly posted “Praise be to Allah for September 11th” on May 28, according to the criminal complaint.
Between July 21 and Aug. 9, Bowie visited the Capitol grounds at least five times to conduct surveillance, taking dozens of photographs to assess security, the complaint states. She told informants she would make a point of having picnics near the Capitol and drinking coffee nearby so she could observe the building without drawing attention.
“I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they’re meeting,” Bowie allegedly told an informant on July 29. “I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well,” She added that she sought to impact the “American system.”
On Aug. 5, Bowie met with two informants in person and allegedly laid out her vision for the Capitol attack. “We definitely want to make sure the senators get killed for sure,” she allegedly said. “That’s the most important part. Destroying the building too? That’s, that’s ideal…”
That same day, Bowie went to a Home Depot in Rensselaer wearing a burqa and purchased bomb-making materials including nails, electrical tape, a 9-volt battery and acetone, using $200 provided by an informant, according to the complaint. “I hope the nails are big enough… Because the nails work as shrapnel, right?” She allegedly told FBI informants upon returning from the hardware store.
Bowie also delivered DoorDash bags she said could be used to conceal the explosive device, planning to pose as a food delivery worker to get close to the building. She requested a gun to potentially shoot any police officer who tried to intercept her, and on Aug. 19 paid $150 for what she believed was a handgun, magazine and ammunition.
In the viral moment that revealed the scope of her ambitions, Bowie told informants that if the Capitol attack succeeded and she escaped, she could “come back in the future and do more.” One target she discussed was “New Year’s Eve in Times Square” — where as many as 1 million tourists gather. Although she chose the state Capitol because it was “the biggest political building that I know of around that area,” she told an informant she would have preferred the “White House with the President” but admitted “that’s an even harder job.” She allegedly added, “Maybe in the future we go back for that.” Bowie also had an escape route to Syria ready, according to the complaint.
Before her arrest, Bowie paid an informant another $200 to help fund a bombmaker for future attacks, saying she “wishes she could fund a big operation,” according to the complaint. She allegedly told informants she hoped to kill at least half of the approximately 200 people she believed were in the Capitol building.
Following her arrest, Bowie appeared to offer a partial confession during her FBI interview. “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.”
Bowie 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 fine and lifetime supervised release. She does not have prior arrests and is being held in Schenectady County Court.
Gov. Kathy Hochul thanked the FBI and law enforcement in a statement Thursday, saying “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.” State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also thanked authorities, saying she was “extremely grateful that law enforcement including the FBI and the State Police acted swiftly.”
The FBI and police thwarted similar threats at the state Capitol in 2004 and 2016.