James Anthony Tighe, 64, of Pettiswood, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, is wanted by British authorities for alleged involvement in a £100 million money‑laundering conspiracy. He faces charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, one charge of cheating the public revenue, and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering covering the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005. Tighe was arrested in July 2012 under a European Arrest Warrant issued in September 2011. The High Court had previously ruled that he could be surrendered to the UK, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision in December 2010, citing an inadequate description of the alleged offence and conflicting charge classifications. Mr Justice John Edwards adjourned the extradition judgement for three weeks, remanding Tighe on continuing bail until 18 March, and will list the case again if the judgement is ready.
Patrick Lee, 41, of Newtown, County Kildare, is wanted by U.S. authorities for 51 offences including wire fraud, unlawful monetary transaction and aggravated identity theft. He allegedly participated in a scheme that defrauded U.S. banks and mortgage lenders by purchasing properties in Boston, converting them into apartments, and using "straw buyers" to secure mortgages that were never repaid. Lee is accused of forging appraisals and receiving about €1 million for his role. The U.S. seeks his extradition for a maximum sentence of 42 years. Lee denies all allegations and claims he would face cruel and inhumane treatment if surrendered, citing health concerns and alleged mistreatment at Shannon Airport. The High Court will consider the extradition request on 12 March, with counsel for both sides presenting evidence. The case remains pending before Mr Justice John Edwards.
A 50‑year‑old British national, William Joseph O'Connor, was extradited to France where he had been convicted in absentia of murdering Jean Jacques Berteloot on Halloween night 2002. The High Court in Ireland sentenced O'Connor to 30 years' imprisonment for the killing, a sentence that was imposed while he was serving a sentence in the UK. He was arrested in March 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant issued by French authorities. The court noted that if he is returned to France he will be guaranteed a retrial and may be granted bail. O'Connor maintains his innocence, claiming he was set up by his co‑accused, Barry Finch. The case involves allegations that O'Connor stabbed Berteloot multiple times while attempting to steal his car and phone, after which both men fled to Amsterdam. The High Court ordered his surrender to France, where he will face a new trial. The proceedings are ongoing and no final verdict has yet been reached.
The High Court has allowed a 28‑year‑old Irishman, described by an FBI special agent as "the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet," to submit a fresh bail application. Justice John Edwards, after careful consideration, concluded that the interests of justice required that Eric Eoin Marques be permitted to proceed with a new bail request. The United States seeks Marques' extradition on charges related to images on more than a hundred anonymous websites that allegedly contain extremely violent, graphic child‑pornographic material, including rape and torture of pre‑pubescent children. The websites reportedly have thousands of members who have posted millions of images, some involving infants, according to the FBI. Marques, who holds both Irish and U.S. citizenship, was arrested in Dublin on a provisional extradition warrant issued by a U.S. court on 29 July. The first bail hearing, held by Justice Paul Gilligan, denied bail pending the determination of the extradition request.
Ali Charaf Damache, an Algerian‑born Irish citizen aged 48, has applied for leave to seek judicial review of an attempt to extradite him to the United States, where he faces international terrorism charges. The High Court heard that the United States alleges Damache conspired with American woman Colleen LaRose, known online as "Jihad Jane," and others to create a terror cell in Europe capable of targeting U.S. and Western European citizens. Damache, who used the username "the black flag," is also alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to transfer a passport stolen from a U.S. citizen to an individual in Pakistan believed to be a member of Al Qaeda. Counsel for Damache, Mr Mícheál O'Higgins SC, argued that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided not to prosecute him in Ireland and had unlawfully delegated the prosecution to the United States, thereby infringing Damache's constitutional rights.