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Ontario man charged in FBI investigation into alleged ISIS financial support

FILE - An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. A hacker who reportedly posed as the CEO of a financial institution claims to have obtained access to the more than 80,000-member database of InfraGard, an FBI-run outreach program that shares sensitive information on national security and cybersecurity threats with public officials and private sector individuals who run U.S. critical infrastructure. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File). CEN

An Ontario man has been charged after an FBI investigation uncovered an alleged scheme to use online campaigns disguised as humanitarian efforts to raise money for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The U.S. Department of Justice says the 34-year-old man was arrested by Canadian police Wednesday under a provisional arrest request, often the first step in the extradition process.

Read more: Ottawa not legally obligated to bring Canadians home from Syria: federal lawyer

He is facing charges in the U.S., along with three Americans, for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.

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The Canadian Department of Justice and the RCMP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. officials allege the Canadian was part of an encrypted social media group chat of ISIS supporters where members discussed posting donation links that appeared to support humanitarian causes but were actually intended to aid Islamic militants.

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They allege he created multiple GoFundMe campaigns purportedly for humanitarian causes and allegedly contributed US$20,347 to a cryptocurrency address tied to the terrorist group.

Officials allege a man behind the cryptocurrency address discussed giving money to support ISIS fighters with a confidential source and allegedly told the source the charitable descriptions in fundraising campaigns were intended to deceive would-be donors.

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