Albany, New York Woman Charged in ISIS-Inspired Terror Plot Targeting the New York State Capitol

Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, New York, made her initial appearance today in federal court on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS. The Justice Department made the announcement today. According to court documents, Bowie, a U.S. citizen, repeatedly expressed her support for ISIS to individuals she believed were members of the terrorist organization, but who were in fact FBI confidential human sources. As part of her efforts to support ISIS, Bowie conducted multiple visits to the New York State Capitol to plan an attack on the building, purchased items necessary to build an explosive device, and recorded and disseminated a video in which she pledged allegiance to ISIS and the organization's former leader. "As alleged, Bowie plotted to deploy an explosive device at the New York State Capitol, intending to kill public officials and to destroy 'as much of the building as possible' before fleeing to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria," said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg for the Justice Department's National Security Division. "Thanks to the diligence and speed of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, investigators stopped the defendant before she was able to act on her plot to bring terror to the Capital Region." "The FBI detected and stopped an alleged plot to attack the New York State Capitol and kill elected officials," said Operations Director Matt Fodor of the FBI National Security Branch. "According to the criminal complaint, the defendant in this case swore allegiance to ISIS and wanted to follow up with additional horrific acts of terrorism. This case is yet another example of how this FBI is built to not only identify threats of terrorism quickly, but to stop their alleged plots before they are able to harm the American people." As alleged in the criminal complaint, between May and July, Bowie maintained dozens of social media accounts that she used to disseminate messages in support of ISIS, several of which were permanently removed by the hosts for violating their terms of service. In an audio recording posted to one of those accounts, Bowie praised the attacks of September 11, 2001. On Aug.19, Bowie was apprehended by law enforcement as she gained possession of what she believed to be an explosive device, with the intent of targeting the New York State Capitol and New York State Senators. If convicted, Bowie faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Albany Field Office is investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the New York State Police, the Albany County Sheriff's Office, and the Albany Police Department. The Justice Department's National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.