The FBI has arrested a woman it says had pledged allegiance to ISIS and was planning to attack the New York state Capitol. According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Albany, the accused, identified as Jessica Bowie, is alleged to have moved toward carrying out a plot against the seat of state government.
Investigators say Bowie took concrete steps to enact the plot. The FBI alleges she went to buy bomb-making materials and that she was in possession of a firearm when she was taken into custody, an arrest that authorities say happened the day before the case was made public.
According to the account laid out by the FBI, the case began with someone who was allegedly making provocative comments on social media. To gauge the threat, the bureau introduced informants to communicate with the person who became the suspect in the investigation.
From there, authorities say the situation escalated. The informants met with the suspect, and the FBI claims she began talking about a plot to take a bomb into the state Capitol and to kill senators, moving the conversation from rhetoric toward an alleged operational plan.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded to the arrest with a statement of her own. She said steps had been taken prior to the arrest to strengthen security at the state Capitol, indicating that officials had been working to harden the building against threats.
Hochul framed the case within a broader trend, citing a rise in political violence and threats against public officials. The governor's remarks tied the alleged Capitol plot to growing concerns about the safety of those working in and around government institutions.
Federal authorities were set to detail the case at a press conference as the allegations became public. At this stage the accusations remain allegations contained in a criminal complaint, with the matter now moving through the federal court in Albany.