ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, NY, made her initial appearance today in federal court on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John A. Eisenberg; FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office Craig L. Tremaroli; U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office Charles T. Perras; Anthony Patrone Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office, Homeland Security Investigation, New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James; Albany County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Craig Apple and Albany Police Department Chief Brendan Cox made the announcement. August 19, 2026, Bowie was apprehended by law enforcement as she gained possession of what she believed to be an explosive device, with the intent of targeting the New York State Capitol and New York State Senators. “The American people embody an enduring spirit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — values fundamentally opposed by foreign terrorist organizations like the one this defendant allegedly pledged her support to,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York . “This arrest will send a strong message to anyone across the country who has been radicalized by our enemies. This administration has deployed the necessary resources for law enforcement to identify, investigate, and disrupt plots of terror well before harm can occur. I am incredibly proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners, who ultimately stopped this defendant before she could act on her plan to bring terror to the Capital Region and the United States. My office looks forward to aggressively prosecuting this case and delivering justice for the American people.” “As alleged in the criminal complaint, Ms. Bowie swore her allegiance to ISIS and developed a detailed plan to attack the New York State Capitol to kill lawmakers and disrupt our government,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office. “Make no mistake about it, Ms. Bowie’s alleged plot was serious, it was dangerous, and thanks to FBI Albany’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), it was foiled. Let this investigation send a clear message that FBI Albany, together with our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners, will relentlessly investigate and arrest anyone supporting and conspiring with terrorists.” Through the course of the investigation and as alleged in the government’s complaint, investigators learned that Bowie had intended to conduct an attack on the New York State Capitol building then flee to join others in ISIS-controlled territories. She was observed making several visits to the New York State Capitol grounds and taking several photographs of the building. In describing the New York State capitol building as her target, Bowie stated: “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” and “I want it to have a affect on the American system. And destroy some of the taghut.” According to the complaint, Jessica Bowie has expressed anti-American messages online. On one account identified as belonging to Bowie, she said, “Praise be to Allah for September 11 th ” and “When I can migrate, I will poison these infidels.” Further, Bowie recorded and disseminated to others online her “Bayah,” or formal oath of allegiance to ISIS. Bowie appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart on August 20, 2026, and was detained pending further proceedings. The charge carries a statutory maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and a lifetime of supervised release. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U. S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, New York State Police, Albany County Sheriff’s Office and Albany Police Department. Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Joseph Hartunian for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Albany New York Woman Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support or Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization
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