NEW YORK — A 35-year-old woman has been charged in connection with a plot to use an explosive device to attack the New York State Capitol and state senators, officials said on Thursday.Jessica Bowie, who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, was arrested by FBI agents on Wednesday 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,” said Craig Tremaroli, FBI special agent in charge of the Albany field office.She has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, said John Sarcone, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of New York.Located in Albany near the Canadian border, the New York State Capitol is the nerve center of the state government and contains both houses of the state’s legislature.The woman had allegedly become a vocal online supporter of the Daesh group, posting anti-American messages online, including support for the September 11, 2001 attackers.She is alleged to have told an FBI informant of her support for the proscribed group and sought guidance on how to manufacture explosives, the criminal complaint shows.Bowie told the informant that she would “make it a point to have picnics by the capital to observe” and learn about security measures, the complaint alleges.She told the informant on an encrypted messaging app that she had “picked up some anarchist literature at the social justice center” which “could have some good tips.”“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,” she wrote.The accused woman mused about posing as a food delivery driver, using the disguise as cover to access the facility to plant a bomb, before fleeing to Syria.She allegedly suggested she could return to the United States to attack further high-profile targets, including New York’s Times Square if her escape was successful.After acquiring a DoorDash bag and components for a bomb, including nails to be used as shrapnel, Bowie was arrested by FBI agents.“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough,” she is alleged to have told agents.
Keep Up to Date with our Weekly Newsletter
