Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A woman who authorities said had been plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol building because she believed laws were being passed that were an affront to Islam was caught in an FBI sting operation and is now facing a federal terrorism charge, authorities announced Thursday.
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, had been under surveillance for more than a month as she communicated with at least one confidential informant posing as an ISIS facilitator, according to a criminal complaint.
Operatives working for the FBI then facilitated her plans, including providing her with money to buy ingredients for a nail bomb. On Wednesday, according to the complaint, the operatives handed Bowie a gun, ammunition and an inert explosive, then gave her instructions on how to use them.
FBI agents then arrested Bowie as she left that meeting with the weapons in a bag, authorities said.
No attorney information was listed for Bowie. The Federal Public Defenders’ office in Albany declined to comment Thursday.
After her arrest, Bowie told FBI agents during an interview that she expected to go to prison, according to the criminal complaint.
“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough,” she said, according to an FBI agent’s account.
John Sarcone, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, called the alleged plot “an attack on democracy itself and one we will not tolerate.”
Court documents said Bowie had converted to Islam about five years ago. The affidavit of probable cause said FBI counterterrorism agents saw a number of online accounts linked back to Bowie in which she had expressed support for terrorism in posts starting around May.
Agents began monitoring those accounts and became aware starting around July 16 that Bowie wanted to carry out an attack on the state Capitol, the criminal complaint said. She asked for lessons from one informant on how to build an explosive device, made at least five trips to the Capitol grounds to plan where it might be most effective to set off an explosive, and scoped out security measures all while in contact with multiple informants, authorities said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/albany-woman-accused-of-trying-to-support-isis-plotting-terrorist-attack-on-nys-capitol
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A woman who authorities said had been plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol building because she believed laws were being passed that were an affront to Islam was caught in an FBI sting operation and is now facing a federal terrorism charge, authorities announced Thursday.
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, had been under surveillance for more than a month as she communicated with at least one confidential informant posing as an ISIS facilitator, according to a criminal complaint.
Operatives working for the FBI then facilitated her plans, including providing her with money to buy ingredients for a nail bomb. On Wednesday, according to the complaint, the operatives handed Bowie a gun, ammunition and an inert explosive, then gave her instructions on how to use them.
FBI agents then arrested Bowie as she left that meeting with the weapons in a bag, authorities said.
No attorney information was listed for Bowie. The Federal Public Defenders’ office in Albany declined to comment Thursday.
After her arrest, Bowie told FBI agents during an interview that she expected to go to prison, according to the criminal complaint.
“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough,” she said, according to an FBI agent’s account.
John Sarcone, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, called the alleged plot “an attack on democracy itself and one we will not tolerate.”
Court documents said Bowie had converted to Islam about five years ago. The affidavit of probable cause said FBI counterterrorism agents saw a number of online accounts linked back to Bowie in which she had expressed support for terrorism in posts starting around May.
Agents began monitoring those accounts and became aware starting around July 16 that Bowie wanted to carry out an attack on the state Capitol, the criminal complaint said. She asked for lessons from one informant on how to build an explosive device, made at least five trips to the Capitol grounds to plan where it might be most effective to set off an explosive, and scoped out security measures all while in contact with multiple informants, authorities said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/albany-woman-accused-of-trying-to-support-isis-plotting-terrorist-attack-on-nys-capitol
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
