A 35-year-old woman from upstate New York has been charged with terrorism offenses after authorities alleged she plotted to bomb the State Capitol building in Albany. According to a federal criminal complaint, Jessica Bowie, who also goes by the name Aisha Saif, became a Muslim five years ago and began to radicalize online.
The FBI alleges that Bowie enlisted the help of confidential informants in her plot, believing they were ISIS handlers. She allegedly arranged for them to turn bomb-making materials she had purchased into an explosive device and to provide her with a handgun. The complaint states that Bowie praised the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks and had made posts online about poisoning "infidels" and expressing support for radical Islamic terror.
Bowie allegedly made several visits to the State Capitol in July and August, and on August 5, she bought bomb-making materials at a Home Depot store in Rensselaer. The FBI arrested her on August 19 after she allegedly gave money to the informants and received an inert handgun and dummy explosive. When read her Miranda rights, Bowie allegedly stated that she knew she was going to prison for the rest of her life and had already looked up potential sentences online.
The complaint does not provide details on how Bowie was initially radicalized online, but authorities say she was influenced by ISIS propaganda and attempted to recruit others. Bowie's alleged plot to bomb the State Capitol was discovered after she enlisted the help of the confidential informants, who were working with the FBI.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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