A 35-year-old New York woman is facing a federal terrorism charge, accused of planning an Islamic terrorist attack.
Authorities say Jessica Bowie of Albany was planning to bomb the New York state capitol building because she believed laws were being passed that were an affront to Islam.
A U.S. attorney called her plan an attack on democracy itself.
The FBI had been monitoring her and caught her in a sting operation. She was observed during more than a month of surveillance as she communicated with at least one confidential informant posing as an ISIS facilitator.
FBI PHOTO: Bowie doing reconnaissance on New York Capitol
“The FBI detected and stopped an alleged plot to attack the New York State Capitol and kill elected officials,” said Operations Director Matt Fodor of the FBI National Security Branch. “According to the criminal complaint, the defendant in this case swore allegiance to ISIS and wanted to follow up with additional horrific acts of terrorism.”
Bowie converted to Islam around five years ago and expressed support for terrorism in posts starting in May.
The FBI reports that one account identified as belonging to Bowie posted, “Praise be to Allah for September 11th” and “When I can migrate, I will poison these infidels.”
Give to CBN News – Because Truth Matters® – News You Can Trust
Pictures of Bowie conducting reconnaissance at the Capitol and buying a list of bomb-making ingredients at a hardware store, including long nails for shrapnel, were included in the federal government’s affidavit.
Authorities said Bowie also arranged to buy a firearm and ammunition in order to fire the weapon at police or security if needed.
“Ms. Bowie did not just plan to kill lawmakers; she wanted a complete disruption of our government,” said Craig L. Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office.
*** AI tools threaten to hide CBN News from your online searches! Sign up for CBN Newsletters today to ensure you can still find the latest news from a Christian perspective.***
