ISIS-supporting woman charged with plotting to bomb New York state capitol

A woman planned to attack New York's state capitol in Albany on behalf of the Islamic State before federal agents thwarted the plot, officials said Thursday. The suspect, Jessica Bowie, 35, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Federal agents arrested the suspect Wednesday after she obtained what she believed was an explosive device, according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors said Bowie converted to Islam five years ago and went by the Islamic name "Aisha Sarif." Ms. Bowie allegedly created dozens of social media accounts under Islamic names to spread propaganda for the terrorist organization, also known as ISIS. An FBI informant told Ms. Bowie he was an ISIS member and she shared her plans to bomb the state capitol with him, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of New York. Ms. Bowie told the FBI informant that she wanted to "harm the enemies of god." "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," Ms. Bowie allegedly wrote July 29. The filing said she met with the informants Wednesday where they gave her a dummy bomb and phony handgun. Ms. Bowie was arrested shortly afterward. "Blowing kafirs [non-Muslims] brains out is beautiful," Ms. Bowie allegedly wrote on social media. She is accused of surveilling the state capitol five times between July 21 and Aug. 9. Prosecutors said Ms. Bowie wanted to carry out additional attacks afterward, including on New Year's Eve in Times Square. She told investigators she understood the consequences of her alleged conduct. "There's no helping me, you guys know enough," she told investigators, according to the complaint. "Material support is up to 20 years in prison, I already Googled it before, I know I'm going to jail." New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said there was no active danger to the state capitol. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X that bureau agents "stopped yet another alleged terrorist attack." First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone said Ms. Bowie was radicalized online. "The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing, that someone would harbor such hatred toward our way of life, and seek to target the New York State Capitol and New York state senators," said Mr. Sarcone. "That's an attack on democracy itself and one we will not tolerate." Ms. Bowie faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.