Adrian Stralynski gets suspended sentence for money laundering

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Adrian Stralynski was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 April 2024 to 18 months in prison, suspended in full for two years, for his role in a €16,000 smishing scam. Judge Orla Crowe passed sentence.

Stralynski, then 22, pleaded guilty to one count of laundering €13,100 between 31 July and 4 August 2021. The proceedings were reported on 12 April 2024.

The court heard that Aidan Hall received a text he believed was from Bank of Ireland and clicked a link to a page resembling his online banking page. He logged in and entered a verification code. The next day he was locked out and the bank told him three withdrawals totalling €16,000 had been made. Garda Sergeant Patrick O’Gorman said the bank was in a position to recall and return all the money.

The court heard that €13,100 was transferred onwards to a third account and that one of the accounts was linked to Stralynski. He said in interview that he gave another man his phone and was told he would receive €500 if he allowed his bank account to be used.

Under defence questioning, Sgt O’Gorman agreed that Stralynski said he had been high and talked into doing it. The Garda also agreed that Stralynski was not the mastermind but had helped facilitate the offence. Defence counsel Simon Matthews said a third party sent the text.

Judge Crowe identified his early guilty plea, admissions, youth at the time and lack of adverse attention since the offence as mitigating factors. She expressed concern about his continued drug use and said the court would give him a chance. Stralynski had 13 previous convictions, including drug possession, assault, public order and road traffic offences.