A woman who had converted to Islam five years ago swore allegiance to ISIS and planned to bomb the New York Capitol in Albany. Jessica Bowie, an Albany resident, went shopping for bomb materials and cased the Capitol at least five times.
Bowie was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York John Sarcone said at a Thursday press conference.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“It’s been some time since anything like this has happened,” Sarcone said, describing the allegations as “disturbing.”
Bowie, an Albany resident, allegedly converted to Islam about five years ago and adopted the name “Aisha Saif,” according to the FBI’s criminal complaint. The complaint alleges that Bowie maintained multiple social media profiles and used them to express “anti-American” views.
In messages sent between May and July, Bowie allegedly pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS. From July through August, she purportedly told an FBI source that she wanted to bomb the Capitol.
“I would like to [target] state capitol,” she allegedly wrote on July 16. “But ideally in a way I could get away with and hop on a plane after. But idk if it’s doable.”
“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,” she allegedly wrote to the FBI source on July 29. “I want it to have a affect on the American system and destroy some of the taghut.” Taghut means something that is worshipped or obeyed other than Allah.
Her plan was to escape and then come back to bomb some more.
Bowie also allegedly said she planned to pose as a food delivery worker and conceal the bomb in a bag resembling a food order before placing it near one of the building’s main entrances.
Hopefully, they will throw the book at her and get her the twenty year sentence.
When women named "Jessica Bowie" are working with ISIS we have serious problems https://t.co/NloMuJ74ld
— Whale Psychiatrist ™️ (@k_ovfefe2) August 20, 2026
Muslim woman Jessica Bowie arrested for plotting to bomb the New York Capitol building swore alliance to ISIS and wrote "Praise be to Allah for September 11th." pic.twitter.com/zXUoG3ypHl
— Pacific Wire (@JMChyno) August 20, 2026