A woman charged with plotting to blow up the New York State Capitol for the Islamic State group had the feigned encouragement of three undercover FBI operatives until her arrest, court records show.Albany-based Muslim convert Jessica Bowie was arrested Wednesday “as she gained possession of what she believed to be an explosive device” for the deadly plot, the Justice Department said in a Thursday press release that commended officials’ “outstanding work.” The FBI’s complaint in court described her multiple conversations with paid FBI assets, including two who allegedly met with her in a car, taught her how to load a gun, gave her a disabled bomb, and taught her how to set it off. Agents apprehended her just after she stepped out of the meeting, according to the complaint.Bowie’s defense attorney did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. She made her initial appearance in court on Thursday and is being held without bail. She faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Thanks to the great work of @FBI and our law enforcement partners, an alleged terrorist plot to attack the New York State Capitol was prevented last night. According to the complaint, the defendant swore allegiance to ISIS and planned to carry out a future deadly attack with… pic.twitter.com/vcr0u0HzFg— Attorney General Todd Blanche (@AGToddBlanche) August 20, 2026
