The FBI has arrested an Albany woman accused of pledging allegiance to ISIS and plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol, with federal authorities alleging that her plans extended beyond state lawmakers to possible future attacks in Times Square and against the White House.
Jessica Bowie, 35, was arrested Wednesday by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Albany, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone told reporters Thursday, according to NBC News.
Bowie was expected to appear in federal court Thursday on a charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The allegations are detailed in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. As with any criminal complaint, the accusations have not yet been proven in court, and Bowie is presumed innocent unless convicted.
According to federal authorities, Bowie came to the FBI’s attention after a confidential source began communicating with her while posing as an ISIS facilitator.
Investigators allege that Bowie told the source she wanted assistance carrying out an attack against the New York State Capitol, located less than two miles from her Albany home.
She allegedly said she wanted to “harm the enemies of god.”
Authorities contend Bowie had gone considerably further than merely expressing support for ISIS online. The complaint alleges she sought instructions for making explosives and discussed how an attack could be carried out.
Thanks to the brilliant work of @FBIAlbany and our partners – this FBI stopped yet another alleged terrorist attack.
Last night the FBI arrested an individual – Jessica Bowie – who allegedly swore allegiance to ISIS and planned to carry out a deadly attack with explosives on the…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 20, 2026
Craig Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany field office, said investigators believe Bowie specifically wanted to strike the Capitol when numerous lawmakers would be inside.
“Miss Bowie didn’t just want to kill lawmakers; she wanted a complete disruption of our government,” Tremaroli told reporters.
According to Tremaroli, investigators also uncovered alleged plans extending beyond Albany.
“And after that, she planned to flee the country and one day come back to ‘do more,’ such as New Year’s Eve in Times Square, even stating she would come back to attack the White House and the president,” he said.
The criminal complaint also describes an extensive social media history that authorities say demonstrated Bowie’s support for ISIS.
Bowie allegedly converted to Islam approximately five years ago and subsequently operated multiple social media accounts under an Islamic honorific name. According to the complaint, providers repeatedly suspended her accounts for violations of their terms of service.
Several of those accounts allegedly contained posts supporting ISIS.
Federal authorities also accuse Bowie of making audio recordings in which she pledged herself to the terrorist organization. In another alleged post, she wrote, “Praise be to Allah for September 11.”
The FBI’s confidential source became central to the investigation. By posing as someone capable of facilitating an ISIS operation, the source allegedly obtained details about Bowie’s intentions and her desire to acquire the knowledge necessary to construct explosives.
Authorities say the investigation allowed agents to intervene before the alleged plan could be carried out.
Sarcone used the arrest to issue a warning both to people inside the United States considering politically or religiously motivated violence and to foreign adversaries.
He said the case should have “a chilling effect on anyone in this country who is being radicalized or considering acts of violence and on our enemies whose governments support death to America.”
“We are vigilant, we are prepared, and just as we stop this defendant, we will continue to disrupt plots and protect the American people,” Sarcone added.
The allegations present an especially serious scenario because the intended target, according to investigators, was not selected at random. Authorities say Bowie wanted to attack the Capitol while lawmakers were present, maximizing both casualties and disruption to state government.
Her alleged comments about subsequently leaving the country and returning for additional attacks also suggest that investigators were dealing with more than a single proposed act of violence.
