A 35-year-old woman from upstate New York, Jessica Bowie, faces terrorism charges after allegedly converting to Islam, swearing allegiance to the Islamic State group, and plotting to bomb the State Capitol building. According to the FBI, Bowie became a Muslim five years ago and adopted the name Aisha Saif.
Authorities allege that Bowie's radicalization occurred online. Her social media accounts were reportedly lost for violating terms of service. Court documents state that in May, she allegedly posted about poisoning "infidels" and expressed praise for the Sept. 11 attacks. By the end of May, she had allegedly sworn allegiance to ISIS.
Bowie allegedly enlisted individuals she believed to be ISIS handlers, who were in fact FBI confidential informants, to aid in her plot. She reportedly purchased bomb-making materials, including a bucket of nails intended for shrapnel. She also allegedly sought to obtain a handgun.
According to the criminal complaint, Bowie made five visits to the State Capitol between July and August to scout the location. On August 5, she was photographed allegedly purchasing bomb-making materials at a Home Depot. Later, on August 13, she allegedly asked an FBI informant for help obtaining a handgun.
On August 19, the FBI arrested Bowie. During her arrest, she allegedly gave $350 to FBI informants and received an inert handgun and a dummy explosive device. According to court documents, upon being read her Miranda rights, Bowie stated, "There's no helping me. You guys know enough... I'm going to prison for the rest of my life." She reportedly had researched potential prison sentences for material support charges.
Bowie allegedly told an informant that she had transformed from a "little girl waving an American flag after 9/11" to someone with "stickers of the falling towers." She was 10 years old when the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks occurred.
Her alleged plan involved hiding a bomb in a DoorDash delivery bag at the New York State Capitol with the intent to kill senators during a meeting and destroy parts of the building. She allegedly expressed a desire to escape to Syria before returning to the U.S. for further attacks.
Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor, noted that social media bans could serve as crucial indicators in such cases. He commented on the challenge of identifying radicalization online, suggesting that platforms' enforcement of their terms of service can sometimes provide initial leads.
Bowie, who has also been linked to addresses in Schenectady, is facing federal terrorism charges. The federal criminal complaint outlines details of her alleged online radicalization and plot. The U.S. will mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 terror attacks shortly after the date of her arrest.