Illegal immigrant charged with material support of ISIS after being ratted out by stripper ex-wife he married to get green card

Mansuri Manuchekhri, 34, is accused of transferring $70,000 to “ISIS-affiliated individuals” between December 2021 and April 2023, believing that the funds would aid the families of deceased ISIS fighters, the New York Post reported. One of the men who Manuchekhri allegedly sent money to was arrested in Turkey for carrying out a bombing at the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul, on January 28, 2024.

Manuchekhri faces several charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS, illegal possession of firearms, and immigration fraud. If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.

During a court session in Brooklyn, New York, Manuchekhri was denied bail. Prosecutors cited communications with ISIS affiliates as evidence indicating “he may be prepared to take violent action on his own in furtherance of ISIS’s goals.”

"Thank God, I am ready, brother,” Manuchekhri texted to a contact in Turkey, along with the text was a 17-second video of himself firing an assault rifle at a shooting range in New Jersey, according to court documents cited by the outlet.

Manuchekhri entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2016 and overstayed his visa and subsequently fabricated a marriage with a stripper from the Bronx in 2017 to secure a green card, the Post reported. His ex-wife later reported him to the authorities and told officials he was likely to “commit acts of violence.”

The stripper he married at one point texted him, “Not to sound like an a**hole but I’m not signing the papers until I get 2000 out front.” She sent the text after he asked her to sign a divorce agreement.

Manuchekhri said, “I don’t have that kind of money,” and she responded, “I’ll give you time to save it up…but I’m not signing the papers till I get that," according to texts from court documents.

Manuchekhri had only met his “wife” two times, once for the wedding and then another time to pay her the money. He had promised to give her a $200 a month, according to court filings.