Wakefield man, 18, arrested for alleged plot to assist ISIS with reward playing cards

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Since 2021, Mateo Ventura allegedly exchanged messages with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter.

An 18-year-old from Wakefield was arrested Thursday for allegedly buying and sending a number of digital reward playing cards to an individual he believed to be an ISIS operative, with the understanding that the playing cards can be bought to assist the terrorist group. 

Mateo Ventura faces one depend of knowingly concealing the supply of fabric assist or sources to a overseas terrorist group, in line with Appearing U.S. Lawyer Joshua S. Levy’s workplace.

In complete, he’s alleged to have despatched $1,670 in digital reward playing cards.

Ventura’s arrest is the end result of an investigation that started in August 2021. It was then that Ventura allegedly started speaking with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter. They used an encrypted messaging service identified by regulation enforcement officers for its use amongst ISIS supporters, in line with an affidavit filed by FBI agent Paul Lagno Wednesday.

Ventura initially contacted the spy to study extra about “making hijrah,” a time period that refers to touring abroad to combat with ISIS, in line with the affidavit. Ventura allegedly informed the spy that he needed to develop into a fighter for the group. 

Ventura allegedly stated that he had “talent in weapons” and “would perform shaheed [martyr] operation if needed.”

“If finished proper they will kill many kuffar [disbeliever],” Ventura allegedly stated when requested why he needed to assist ISIS. 

Ventura allegedly stated he may study Arabic and despatched an audio file containing a pledge of allegiance to ISIS’s chief. 

The spy requested Ventura if he can be focused on offering financial donations to ISIS, and the 2 organized for the transmission of codes from digital reward playing cards bought by Ventura, in line with the affidavit. When requested what he would need the cash for use for, Ventura allegedly informed the spy that the playing cards must be bought on the darkweb, with the assumption that this may allow the funds for use to immediately assist the “combat in opposition to kuffar,” or disbelievers. 

Final September, Ventura allegedly informed the spy that he may not journey to hitch ISIS as a result of he obtained harm in a fall and will “not stroll.” Lagno discovered that Ventura had not truly been injured and will stroll, in line with the affidavit.

In February, regulation enforcement officers discovered that Ventura had booked flight tickets six separate instances inside a one hour interval for a visit to the Center East, however no type of cost was entered and the tickets weren’t issued, in line with the affidavit.

On April 10, Ventura purchased a ticket for a Turkish Airways flight from Boston to Cairo departing that night, Lagno wrote. Ventura despatched a screenshot confirming the flight itinerary to the spy.

However Ventura by no means left his residence that evening. He didn’t cancel or reschedule the flight both, in line with the affidavit.

At about 10:50 p.m. on April 10, the FBI obtained an nameless tip allegedly made by Ventura requesting $10 million in change for details about imminent assaults.

Ventura contacted the FBI a number of instances within the following days, telling brokers that he knew about upcoming terrorist assaults and desirous to “make the deal,” Lagno wrote.

FBI brokers informed Ventura that the knowledge he supplied was not particular sufficient to be actionable, Lagno wrote. Ventura allegedly later informed brokers that he accepted the FBI’s determination and requested that they not contact him once more.

“There may be spy’s in you’re ranks,” Ventura allegedly informed the spy on April 21.

Between August 2021 and August 2022, whereas nonetheless a juvenile, Ventura allegedly despatched 26 reward playing cards totaling $965. From January to Might 2023, after he turned 18, Ventura allegedly despatched 16 reward playing cards totaling $705 to the spy with the understanding that the cash from their resale can be used to assist ISIS and its fighters. 

The cost of knowingly concealing the supply of fabric assist or sources to a overseas terrorist group gives for a sentence of as much as 10 years in jail, as much as a lifetime of supervised launch, and a wonderful of as much as $250,000.