Jessica Bowie Arrested in ISIS Plot to Bomb New York Capitol, Aiming to Kill 100
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 20
Jessica Bowie Arrested in ISIS Plot to Bomb New York Capitol, Aiming to Kill 100
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 20
Summary
Federal agents arrested 35-year-old Albany resident Jessica Bowie on Aug. 19 after she left a meeting carrying an inert bomb, an inert handgun, ammunition and a magazine, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.
The complaint charges Bowie with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, alleging she spent weeks planning to bomb the New York State Capitol, target senators during a session and kill at least half of roughly 200 people she believed could be inside.
FBI informants posing as ISIS facilitators said Bowie pledged allegiance to ISIS, conducted repeated surveillance of the Capitol, bought bomb components at Home Depot with $200 in prerecorded funds and supplied a DoorDash bag to disguise the device.
Investigators said Bowie also sought a concealable handgun for the attack, discussed shooting police if confronted and, after her arrest, told agents she had already Googled that a material-support charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
The case underscores how U.S. authorities are still relying on online monitoring, informants and controlled stings to disrupt self-radicalized ISIS-inspired plots before an attack can be carried out.