Newly unsealed court records reveal an Albany woman and FBI informants posing as ISIS operatives trading messages about bombing the New York State Capitol and killing state senators.
Albany resident Jessica Bowie, 35, was arrested Wednesday night and charged Thursday with attempting to provide material support to ISIS — a federal terrorism charge that carries up to 20 years in prison — according to a criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of New York.
Three paid FBI informants, posing as ISIS operatives, drove the conversations over roughly five weeks without Bowie knowing, the complaint said.
On July 16, Bowie asked one of those informants for help making explosives, then deleted her messages, the complaint asserted. The informant wrote back to reconstruct what she had said.
"[O]k So you mentioned that you want to get my hep [sic] to teach you how to make explosives?" the informant wrote.
"Yes," Bowie replied, the complaint said. The informant then pressed her on the location she had also deleted.
"I would like to targey [sic] state capitol," Bowie wrote, adding she hoped to board a plane and flee after the attack, the complaint said.
Days later, the informant sent Bowie an aerial photograph of the Capitol building and asked her to confirm her target, the complaint stated.
"Explain to me so this picture is the place you want to taget [sic]," the informant wrote.
"Yes in the yellow," Bowie replied — she had circled the Capitol in the image, the complaint said. "[O]k," the informant wrote back.
"Perhaps onna [sic] day when we know senators will be meeting," Bowie said, according to the complaint. Adding that she would put the bomb in "a bag that looks like food delivery so when I place it I look like a food delivery person."
On July 31, the informant asked Bowie if she wanted assistance from a "trusted brother from Dawlah" — an alias for ISIS. The informant set up the meeting after Bowie allegedly agreed.
On August 5, Bowie met two more FBI informants in Albany, where they drove her to a Home Depot in Rensselaer, New York, the complaint said. One informant gave her $200 in pre-recorded government funds to buy the materials.
"I hope the nails are big enough . . . because the nails work as shrapnel, right?" Bowie said after returning to the vehicle with the supplies, the complaint alleged.
"On August 19, 2026, BOWIE met with CHS-2 and CHS-3 in a car driven by CHS-2," the complaint explained. "CHS-2 then showed BOWIE an inert explosive device that was purportedly built using the components BOWIE purchased at Home Depot on August 5, 2026. CHS-2 explained to BOWIE how to operate the explosive device and further detailed how to detonate the device."
"When BOWIE exited CHS-2’s vehicle, she was in possession of the firearm, magazine, and ammunition, which she carried in a bag she brought to the meeting, as well as the inert explosive device, which she carried in a second bag provided by CHS-2," the complaint added. "After exiting the vehicle, BOWIE was subsequently arrested by the FBI."
"Material support is up to 20 years in prison; I already Googled it before. I know I'm going to jail," Bowie reportedly told the FBI agents after her arrest.
