ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — An Albany woman who authorities said had been plotting to bomb the New York state Capitol building in an effort to kill lawmakers because she believed laws were being passed that were an affront to Islam is facing a federal terrorism charge.Authorities said Thursday that 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. Investigators said they foiled the attack just weeks away from the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.No attorney information was listed for Bowie, who was arrested Wednesday, and a phone call to the Federal Public Defenders’ office in Albany on Thursday was not immediately returned.“The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing,” said John Sarcone, first assistant US attorney for the Northern District of New York. “That’s 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. She asked for lessons from at least one confidential 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.
