Wakefield Man Indicted For Funding ISIS Via Gift Cards: Prosecutors

WAKEFIELD, MA — A Wakefield man was indicted on charges that he provided gift cards in order to fund a terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to a statement from U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua Levy.

Mateo Ventura, 18, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Boston with one count of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

Ventura was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June.

Ventura is accused of providing 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 profits be used to support ISIS, according to prosecutors.

Ventura allegedly stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers). Prosecutors allege that between January and May, Ventura donated $705 intended to support ISIS.

If convicted, Ventura could face up to 10 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Ventura will appear in federal court at a later date.