A Long Beach man was arrested for allegedly providing financial support to those claiming to be members of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Justice Department said Friday.
Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, allegedly communicated with two people who identified as ISIS fighters and expressed his desire to participate in the terrorist organization’s cause.
“It’s an honor to fight and die for our faith. It’s the best way to go to heaven,” Villanueva allegedly told the purported ISIS members.
In a February message, Villanueva offered to send money to “cover” their equipment and weapons, the DOJ said.
According to Western Union records, Villanueva then sent a dozen payments totaling $1,615 during a five-month period to two intermediaries who accessed the money overseas, prosecutors said.
And as Villanueva told a purported ISIS fighter that he had a bomb and knives, the FBI later recovered what appeared to be a bomb from his bedroom.
“Supporting a terrorist group, whether at home or abroad, is a serious risk to our national security,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “We will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who provides support or comfort to our enemies.”
Villanueva, a lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, was expected to make his initial appearance Friday in Los Angeles federal court.
If convicted, he faces 20 years in federal prison.