BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A Wakefield man was arrested in connection with purchasing gift cards to support a foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
According to the Justice Department in Boston, 18-year-old Mateo Ventura was charged Thursday in a criminal complaint with one count of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
Between January and May 2023, Ventura donated $705 intended to support ISIS, according to charging documents. He allegedly provided gift cards to a person he believed was an ISIS supporter, with the intention that the gift cards be sold on the dark web for a little less than face value and the resulting profits be used to support ISIS.
Ventura allegedly stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers).
He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, if found guilty.
