A 35-year-old woman has been charged in connection with a plot to use an explosive device to attack the New York State Capitol and state senators, officials said Thursday.

Jessica Bowie, who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, was arrested by FBI agents Wednesday after buying what she believed to be an explosive device and stating “her desire to carry out an attack at the New York State Capitol,” said Craig Tremaroli, FBI special agent in charge of the Albany field office.

She has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, said John Sarcone, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of New York.

Bowie appeared Thursday in federal court in Albany. She did not enter a plea. A court-appointed attorney did not seek bail but can later.

Her attorney declined to comment on the case.

Bowie swore her allegiance to ISIS through audio recordings and conducted surveillance at the capitol at least five times, taking dozens of photos, according to Tremaroli.

The Albany woman allegedly “arranged to have an explosive device made out to carry this attack, even purchasing several of the required materials herself,” Tremaroli said.

“I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting,” Bowie said, according to the complaint. “I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well.”

ISIS is a long way from its heyday of power but remains a relevant force on the global stage, primarily through online propaganda.

There were more than a dozen ISIS-inspired plots and attacks in America in 2024 and 2025, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a non-profit research organization that studies extremism.

Bowie herself had been radicalized online and “spread messages of hate and violence against the American people,” Sarcone said.

The charge against Bowie carries a statutory maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a lifetime term of supervised release, according to Sarcone.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday steps were taken to strengthen security at the state capitol earlier this year “amid a rise in political violence and threats against public officials.”

New York state senators had adjourned for a recess in June.

“While there is no immediate threat at this time, we will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” Hochul said in a statement on X.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the alleged plot “deeply alarming.”