Courts / Leitrim / Report
Six years for 'cloned' van racket is upheld
Summary
A man from Carrick-on-Shannon has lost an appeal against his six-year prison sentence for involvement in a sophisticated online fraud involving cloned stolen vans. Tom Reilly, aged 50, pleaded guilty to four sample counts of handling stolen property between August 2009 and June 2010. He was sentenced by Judge John Aylmer in May 2019, with the Court of Appeal upholding that decision today. The scheme involved vans stolen in the UK being brought to Ireland and sold to unsuspecting buyers through online platforms, resulting in losses totalling €50,150 across eight purchases. Evidence indicated that fraudulent logbooks were obtained using details from legitimate vehicles, which were then used to clone the stolen vans before importation to Ireland. The Court of Appeal found no error in principle in the original sentencing, confirming the six-year term was justified given the scale and sophistication of the operation.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Six years for 'cloned' van racket is upheld. Charges or matters: four sample counts of handling stolen property between August 1, 2009 and June 25, 2010. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- August 1, 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 25, 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 21, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-03-02 Publication
Why: The UK unit had identified logbooks for vans being obtained fraudulently in order to clone the stolen vehicles. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: four sample counts of handling stolen property between August 1, 2009 and June 25, 2010 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was sentenced to six years imprisonment by Judge John Aylmer on May 21, 2019, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal today. Upholding the severity of his six year prison sentence today, Mr Justice John Edwards said some 70 vehicles were detected in Ireland as having been cloned, although Reilly was only criminally liable in respect of 11 vehicles.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Leitrim
- Leitrim Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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