ALBANY, N.Y. (Spectrum News 1) — A neighbor of Jessica Bowie, the Albany woman accused in federal court of plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the New York State Capitol, said he heard frequent arguments at the home where she lived and was stunned to learn of the allegations.
Bowie, 35, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support or resources to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors allege she planned to use an explosive device to target the Capitol and senators before the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested her on Wednesday.
She has been taken into custody and has not entered a plea. A criminal complaint is an accusation, and Bowie is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Jared, a neighbor who asked Spectrum News 1 not to use his last name due to safety concerns, said he has lived at the multifamily Albany residence for about six months. He said Bowie lived in an upstairs apartment and that his direct conversations with her were brief.
“She was just mean,” Jared said. “Like every interaction that we had with her was chaotic.”
Jared said he often heard Bowie arguing with an unnamed roommate upstairs. He described hearing shouting and objects slamming, and said he saw Bowie coming and going through the rear entrance of the residence, typically alone.
“I would hear her screaming at her roommate,” Jared said. “A lot of the times, it wasn’t necessarily me that would have long interactions. It’d be shorter, but they’d be fighting upstairs.”
The federal complaint contains one reference to an unnamed roommate. It alleges Bowie told a confidential source that if the roommate discovered a device, she “would have to kill the roommate quietly.” The filing does not identify the roommate or accuse that person of any involvement in the alleged plot.
Jared said the roommate had told him Bowie made threats, including threats to poison her. Those claims have not been independently verified by Spectrum News 1.
He said the allegations in the complaint gave new weight to what he said had been a tense living situation.
“When I read the article, I was like, I knew immediately she definitely said that,” Jared said, referring to the allegation involving the roommate. “I talked to her roommate plenty of times, and she was always talking about how she was being threatened by her.”
Jared also said he saw law enforcement officers arrive at the residence after Bowie’s arrest. He recorded video, he said, after someone told him there were numerous state troopers outside.
He said officers went upstairs and told residents the operation did not involve them.
“I opened the door and I was like, ‘Oh, are you looking for somebody here?’” Jared said. “And they were like, ‘No, it’s upstairs. Go back inside. I promise you, it has nothing to do with you.’”
Jared said he later learned investigators were searching Bowie’s apartment. He said the discovery that the alleged plot was connected to someone living under the same roof left him unsettled.
“It’s crazy that you never know, really, who somebody is,” he said.
The complaint alleges Bowie discussed attacking the Capitol while senators were meeting, conducted surveillance around the building and met with confidential sources whom she believed had ISIS connections. Authorities allege she bought materials with government funds, accepted an inert explosive device and a firearm during an operation and was arrested afterward.
Federal authorities said at Thursday’s press conference that Bowie lived at 375 Sherman St. But Jared and others say she also lived at another Albany address.
Jared said he saw law enforcement officers arrive at the residence after Bowie’s arrest. He recorded video, he said, after someone told him there were numerous state troopers outside.
Greg Rinckey, a national security attorney and founding partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC who is not involved in the case, said the allegations described in the complaint could present substantial evidence for prosecutors. He said any potential defense arguments, including an entrapment claim, would depend on facts and evidence that emerge as the case moves forward.
“The evidence is quite strong against her, really,” Rinckey said. “The only defense that defense counsel is going to have in a case like this would be a defense of entrapment.”
Rinckey added that because the case is currently at the complaint stage, an entrapment defense would depend on evidence that has yet to emerge, noting that the defense has not yet publicly articulated a formal strategy.
Bowie faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and possible lifetime supervised release if convicted. Federal officials have said the investigation remains active, including efforts to determine whether anyone else was involved.
