Teen accused of selling gift cards to help ISIS; father says he's being 'railroaded'

WORCESTER — A Wakefield man accused of knowingly providing gift cards to be sold to support the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) made his first appearance in federal court in Worcester Thursday and was held until a preliminary hearing.

Mateo Ventura, 18, was arrested Thursday on a charge of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization, according to a news release from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

Ventura's father, Paul Ventura, said in a lengthy exchange with media that his son is being "railroaded" and that Mateo is a patriotic American with developmental issues.

According to charging documents, Ventura is alleged to have provided multiple gift cards to a person he believed to have been an ISIS supporter so that the person could help facilitate the sale of those cards on the dark web, with the resulting profits used to support ISIS.

The gift cards would have been sold at slightly less than face value.

Ventura is alleged to have said he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar” (disbelievers). According to the news release, Ventura is alleged to have donated $705 between January and May 2023 intended to support ISIS.

According to a sworn affidavit from FBI Special Agent Paul Lagno, Ventura used an encrypted messaging application to communicate with someone who turned out to be an undercover FBI employee.

According to Lagno, Ventura messaged the undercover employee on or about Aug. 3, 2021, about providing financial support to ISIS and his desire to travel abroad to join the terrorist group.

"I would carry out shaheed [martyr] operation if wanted," Ventura is alleged to have written.

A day later, Ventura is alleged to have sent an audio file pledging allegiance to ISIS' then-leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurash.

The following day, the undercover employee inquired about whether Ventura would be interested in making donations to ISIS. Ventura is alleged to have sent him a redemption code for a $25 Google gift card with the intention of ISIS selling the card on the dark web.

In early 2023, Lagna reports Ventura sent more gift cards to the undercover employee and considered several flights abroad with an interest in joining ISIS.

Between April 10 and April 20, Ventura is alleged to have tried to reach the FBI, claiming he had information about future terrorist attacks in Egypt. Ventura requested $10 million and immunity in exchange for information that he believed would help thwart an ISIS attack.

On April 20, the FBI informed Ventura his information was not actionable as it was not specific. Ventura later messaged the FBI saying to never speak to him again.

According to Lagno, between approximately August 2021 and August 2022, while he was a juvenile, Ventura provided approximately 26 gift cards that totaled around $965.

After he turned 18, Ventura is alleged to have provided an additional 16 electronic gift cards for $705.

Ventura entered federal court Thursday in handcuffs. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.

The government is seeking to hold Ventura until trial, saying he poses danger to the community.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy scheduled a preliminary hearing for Wednesday morning.

Ventura was taken out of the courtroom by security.

Following the court appearance, Paul Ventura left the courthouse through the front door and initially tried to use his shirt to conceal his face from cameras stationed outside.

While he said he was told not to talk to media, he responded to questions, insisting his son is innocent and was the victim of entrapment.

Deciding he preferred the public to know his side of the story, Paul Ventura then fully revealed his face and readily answered multiple questions from media members along Main Street for about half an hour. He also showed photos of himself with his son.

"He wanted to work with (the FBI)," Ventura said. "And I said, 'What are you doing?' and ... 'He wanted to redeem himself.'"

Ventura frequently raised his voice, to the stares of those passing by, to decry the treatment his family has received from the government, courts and his son's high school, Wakefield Memorial High School.

He described his son as a child who was born premature and who has developmental disabilities; however, he said Mateo is very good with computers.

Mateo needed special education courses in school and was being bullied, but the school did not address the bullying, Paul Ventura said.

He said he does not know what faith his son practices, but added his son has a very strong interest in history and has never shown support for terrorism.

He claimed his son had been completely cooperative with the FBI and that the FBI found nothing in the house the two share.

Saying he is a single father who has had to stand tall with his son for much of his life, Paul Ventura said he has been a victim of state government corruption.

The father agreed with the assertion that the government was out to get his family, saying they have taken his money through the courts.

Ventura said he wrote a book called "The Youngest Son of a Millionaire" detailing the corruption that he said has plagued his family.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Mateo Ventura of Wakefield accused of selling gift cards to help ISIS