Woman accused of plotting "major attack" on New York State Capitol building

The FBI said Thursday it thwarted a potential terrorist attack in Albany.

A New York woman is accused of plotting "a major attack" on the state capitol building, authorities said.

In a criminal complaint, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of New York charged Jessica Bowie, 35, with attempting to provide material support for foreign terrorist organizations. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Bowie, who lives in Albany, plotted between July 16 and August 17th of this year to attack the New York State Capitol building using explosives, court documents allege.

"Bowie had plotted to use an explosive device to attack the New York State Capitol and the New York state senators," First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said. "The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing. That someone would harbor such hatred toward our way of life and seek to target the New York State Capitol and New York state senators - that's an attack on democracy itself, and one we will not tolerate."

Sarcone alleged Bowie was radicalized online and "spread messages of hate and violence against the American people."

The affidavit alleges she surveilled the state capitol building on five different occasions, all captured on security cameras.

She was communicating with an FBI source posing as an ISIS infiltrator.

"I would like to [target] state capitol," Bowie allegedly wrote to the source. She also also allegedly told another source she was receiving help to plan "a major attack."

In one message to the source, Bowie is alleged to have written that she wanted "to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting ... I want them to lose alot [sic] of important documents as well."

The complaint includes an image of Bowie at a Rensselaer Home Depot, buying nails and other supplies for a makeshift bomb. FBI sources met with her and gave her $200 for the purchase, and investigators say she said she'd murder her roommate if her roommate found out. They say she planned to bring the device into the capitol in a DoorDash delivery bag, and hoped to kill at least 100 people.

"She continued, as referenced in the complaint, 'I don't wanna take this risk and kill what, two or three people, what good is that?'" said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli.

She is alleged to have met in person with two other confidential sources, who recorded the meeting. In that meeting she is alleged to have indicated she wanted to go through with other attacks.

The affidavit says Bowie allegedly said attacking the White House would be too difficult, and she would revisit that at a later date. "We definitely want to make sure the senators get killed for sure," she is alleged to have said.