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Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty To Sending Cash To ISIS, Possessing Explosive

Mark Villanueva sent $1,615 over five months to ISIS fighters and possessed a homemade bomb; sentencing is set for June 17 with up to 35 years possible.

  • On Jan. 27, Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 29, pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
  • Communicating online, Villanueva exchanged messages in February 2025 with two people who described themselves as fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, offering to send money and asking if it would 'cover your equipment and your weapons,' the DOJ said.
  • Western Union records show he sent a dozen payments totaling $1,600 to two intermediaries, and the FBI recovered an improvised explosive device in his Long Beach bedroom on Aug. 1, 2025.
  • Sentencing is set for June 17, when the U.S. Department of Justice says Villanueva could face up to 35 years in prison, including up to 20 years for material support and 15 years for firearm possession.
  • Federal prosecutors emphasized national security risks and pledged prosecution, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli saying `Supporting a terrorist group, whether at home or abroad, is a serious risk to our national security`, and the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles is monitoring the case.
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Long Beach man with homemade bomb pleads guilty to sending cash to ISIS

The 29-year-old man could face up to 35 years in prison when he is sentenced in June.

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NBC LA broke the news in Los Angeles, United States on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
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