Courts / Dublin / Report
Accounts administrator stole €156k from employer
Summary
John Luong, 42, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of theft from Icon Plc between November 2013 and November 2014. He stole a total of €156,497 by altering invoices and substituting his own IBAN details, diverting payments meant for the company into his personal account. The amounts ranged from €3,000 to €35,000 per incident. Luong, an accounts administrator, admitted a gambling addiction that drove the theft, estimating he had taken about €70,000. He had been suspended and later dismissed after an audit revealed the diversions. The judge described the theft as a "huge error of judgement" and a breach of trust, noting that none of the stolen money has been recovered. Luong has seven prior convictions for road traffic offences. The court acknowledged his personal suffering but emphasized the seriousness of the financial loss.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Accounts administrator stole €156k from employer. Charges or matters: eight counts of stealing from Icon Plc, a clinical research company, on dates between November 2013 and November 2014. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- November 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-05-02 Publication
Why: An accounts administrator who stole over €150,000 from his employers to fund his gambling addiction has been sentenced to two years in prison. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: eight counts of stealing from Icon Plc, a clinical research company, on dates between November 2013 and November 2014 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan said Luong had committed a "huge error of judgement and obviously, a huge breach of trust" in stealing from his company. "He had a pernicious gambling addiction and used his knowledge to take the company's money.
Places mentioned
Topics
Road Traffic Stage Sentence Theft
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