Courts / Dublin / Report

Medicine student lost €14k college fees in invoice redirect scam

Date
2023-03-09
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Erik Nemes, a 22-year-old college student from Skerries, Co Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing the proceeds of crime. Judge Martin Nolan handed Nemes a one-year sentence, which was suspended in full. Nemes pleaded guilty to possessing €14,470 as the proceeds of crime at Bank of Ireland in Balbriggan on December 14, 2018. The funds were originally intended for the college fees of a UCD medical student from New Zealand, who discovered the money had been diverted to an account in Nemes's name. Prosecution evidence indicated Nemes provided his bank details to a friend under the pretext of obtaining discounted goods, before being pressured to withdraw cash and purchase iPhones. Judge Nolan noted that Nemes knew it was a criminal enterprise. The court ordered that €1,000 brought by Nemes be paid to the injured party within one month. Nemes, who studies engineering and technology at Drogheda Institute of Further Education, has no previous convictions. Defence counsel highlighted his difficult background and cooperation with gardaí, while the prosecution agreed he was unlikely to reoffend. A victim impact statement from the student's father, who suffered anxiety and had to replace the lost fees, was submitted to the court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Medicine student lost €14k college fees in invoice redirect scam. Charges or matters: possessing the sum of €14,470 as the proceeds of crime at Bank of Ireland in Balbriggan on December 14, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Erik Nemes

Defendant

Charges: possessing the sum of €14,470 as the proceeds of crime at Bank of Ireland in Balbriggan on December 14, 2018 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: At a hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan handed Nemes, who is also a college student, a one-year sentence but suspended it in full.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Sentence

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