Federal authorities have arrested an Albany woman who they say plotted to detonate a bomb and kill elected officials at the New York State Capitol.

Jessica Bowie, 35, is charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations. Bowie converted to Islam about five years ago and adopted the name “Aisha Saif,” according to court documents.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig Tremaroli, FBI special agent in charge of the Albany Field Office, a member of the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement officials laid out their case against Bowie at a news conference Thursday in Albany.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III speaks Thursday in Albany. (Spectrum News 1)

Sarcone said Bowie sought to use an explosive device to attack the Capitol and senators. He said she was radicalized online and spread messages of hate and violence against the American people, calling the allegations “deeply disturbing” and “an attack on democracy itself.”

In the complaint, FBI Special Agent Joshua Parker provided an affidavit, stating that Bowie pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS in social media messages from May and July that were traced back to her. She then began communicating her intentions to bomb the Capitol to FBI confidential sources beginning starting in July and continuing through this week, according to the complaint.

Bowie told an FBI source that she was making explosives to carry out the attack, and sent images of the Capitol she said she had taken, Parker stated, adding that surveillance teams and cameras picked her up walking around the Capitol.

Jessica Bowie (Courtesy of Deputy Superintendent Jack Purdy of the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Department)

“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,” Bowie wrote to the FBI source, according to court documents. She said she would disguise herself as a food delivery person, place the bomb in a bag that looked like a food delivery, likely at the main entrance from Washington Avenue and Hawk Street, according to the complaint.

In a meeting with two FBI sources on Aug. 5 that was recorded on video, Bowie said she wanted to set off the bomb at a time when there were the most amount of senators in the building and destroy as much of the property as possible, according to the court document. Said also indicated she had obtained a passport and wanted to return in the future to “do more,” naming New Year’s Eve in Times Square, it states.

Posing as her allies, the FBI agents informed her she would need nails and other materials to create a bomb. Bowie on Aug. 5 then directed them to a Home Depot in Rensselaer, where she accepted $200 and purchased a large plastic bin full of nails, according to the complaint.

On Thursday, Bowie allegedly provided an FBI agent with $150 to purchase a firearm, a magazine and ammunition. The agent showed her an inert explosive device and instructed how to detonate it. Bowie paid the agent $200 to fund construction of additional devices for future operations, and left the meeting in possession of the firearm, ammunition and “explosive device,” according to the court papers.

She was then arrested Thursday near her residence at 375 Sherman St., Albany, by members of the FBI, who subsequently found knives and a handwritten pledge in her possession, according to the agency. 

Sarcone said Bowie has resided in the city of Albany for some time. Federal officials say she told them that “she went from a little girl waving an American flag to now having stickers of the falling towers.”

Bowie was being held in Schenectdy County Jail. She faces up to 20 years in prison. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul reacted to news of the arrest Thursday afternoon on X.

“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. 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,” Hochul said.

State Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra released the following statement: “To call this ‘unsettling’ would be an understatement. A planned terror attack at the State Capitol reminds us of the rising threat of violence against American institutions and principles. I want to thank the professionals of the FBI, State Police, and all our law enforcement agencies. Their courage, skill & collaboration saved lives.”

(Courtesy of the FBI/U.S. Department of Justice)