Courts / Dublin / Report
Pair laundered stolen union cash after answering Snapchat ad
Summary
Two young men, Joel Kialunda, 20, and Emmanuel Esuku, 23, were sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fully suspended one‑year imprisonment for laundering money defrauded from a Swedish trade union. The fraud involved fraudulent emails claiming that three ventilators would be purchased for donation to a hospital for Covid‑19 treatment. The union transferred €27,594.63 into an account provided in the email, which was later found to belong to Kialunda. Over €23,000 was withdrawn or transferred elsewhere, including €3,000 sent to a Revolut account belonging to Esuku. Both men pleaded guilty to money laundering on 22 and 23 April 2020, respectively. Judge Martin Nolan, citing their age and mitigation, suspended the sentences in their entirety on strict conditions. The court noted that neither accused had been involved in the initial defrauding of the union and that the money had been recovered and returned to the union.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pair laundered stolen union cash after answering Snapchat ad. Charges or matters: money laundering at a location within the State on April 22, 2020; money laundering at a location within the State on April 23, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 22, 2020 Incident
- April 23, 2020 Incident
- April 2020 Incident
- 2022-01-11 Publication
Why: He said at a certain point people will start going to jail "because this has to be stopped". CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: money laundering at a location within the State on April 22, 2020; money laundering at a location within the State on April 23, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced both Kialunda and Esuku to one year imprisonment but suspended the sentence in its entirety on strict conditions.
Accused
Charges: money laundering at a location within the State on April 22, 2020; money laundering at a location within the State on April 23, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced both Kialunda and Esuku to one year imprisonment but suspended the sentence in its entirety on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
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