A Long Beach man pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges alleging he sent a dozen payments to ISIS and kept a homemade bomb inside his home.
Mark Villanueva, 28, is charged in Los Angeles federal court with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, manufacturing an unregistered destructive device, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Villanueva, a lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, entered a not guilty plea to the three charges. A magistrate judge set a tentative trial date of Oct. 6.
According to court papers, Villanueva allegedly communicated via social media with two people who described themselves as fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. In the messages, Villanueva discussed his desire to support the terrorist organization, and offered to send money to the ISIS fighters to support their activities, prosecutors contend.
According to the DOJ, Villanueva told one of the self-identified ISIS fighters that Villanueva wanted to fight for ISIS himself, stating, “It’s an honor to fight and die for our faith. It’s the best way to go to heaven. … Someday soon, I’ll be joining.”
He allegedly told the other individual that he possessed a bomb and knives. According to prosecutors, during Villanueva’s arrest on Aug. 1, the FBI recovered what appeared to be an improvised explosive device from his bedroom.
The charge of felon in possession of a firearm — namely the homemade bomb — stems from Villanueva’s state conviction for stalking in September 2017, court papers show.
In a February 2025 message with one of the self-described ISIS fighters, Villanueva offered to send the individual money, and asked whether the money would “cover your equipment and your weapons,” the DOJ alleged.
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“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 at the time of arrest. “We will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who provides support or comfort to our enemies.”
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