Courts / Kildare / Report

Court 'fed up' with money mules using 'stupidity as a shield', judge says

Date
2024-01-12

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Kildare

County
Kildare

Summary

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced four men for money laundering offences linked to €121,000 stolen from a Dublin solicitors' firm via invoice redirect fraud. Judge Martin Nolan warned that the court is "totally fed up" with young money mules using "stupidity as a shield" and stated that those providing bank details after January 2022 face potential custody. Cameron Fanning, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering and one count of giving false information to gardaí. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions. The judge noted the court would not use Fanning as a "sacrificial lamb" given his reckless but believable explanation. Mubarak Salawu, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and possessing €600 Balenciaga runners bought with proceeds of crime; he received a suspended two-year prison sentence. Olumide Lawal, 27, admitted to two counts of money laundering and possession of an iPhone bought with proceeds of crime; he was also given a suspended two-year prison sentence. Aaron Clancy, 21, pleaded guilty to possessing €3,020 in proceeds of money laundering and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650 in proceeds of crime; he received a suspended two-year prison sentence. The judge noted that for Salawu, Lawal, and Clancy, the amounts involved were lower and all three were young men with their "futures in front of them".

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court 'fed up' with money mules using 'stupidity as a shield', judge says. Charges or matters: two counts of money laundering from the solicitor's firm on November 9, 2020 and one count of giving false information about his bank account to gardaí; one count of money laundering in relation to the stolen monies which were credited to his account and an unrelated charge of possessing a pair of €600 Balenciaga runners bought from the proceeds of crime; possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitors' firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 2022 Incident
November 9, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
November 18, 2020 Other
August 2021 Incident
2024-01-12 Publication

Why: "But somebody is going to go to jail, to stop people making these stupid decisions, because this is continuing for years now. CNI source report

Case subjects

Aaron Clancy

Defendant

Charges: possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitors' firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Clancy received a suspended prison sentence of two years. Imposing sentence on Salawu, Lawal and Clancy, the judge noted that the amounts involved were lower and all three were young men with their "futures in front of them".

Cameron Fanning

Convicted Person

Charges: two counts of money laundering from the solicitor's firm on November 9, 2020 and one count of giving false information about his bank account to gardaí; one count of money laundering in relation to the stolen monies which were credited to his account and an unrelated charge of possessing a pair of €600 Balenciaga runners bought from the proceeds of crime; possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitors' firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He was sentenced to three and half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions. He said the court would not be "justified to use Fanning as a sacrificial lamb" by imposing a custodial sentence on him and would instead hand down a suspended prison sentence.

Mubarak Salawu

Defendant

Charges: one count of money laundering in relation to the stolen monies which were credited to his account and an unrelated charge of possessing a pair of €600 Balenciaga runners bought from the proceeds of crime; possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitors' firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He received a suspended two-year prison sentence. Imposing sentence on Salawu, Lawal and Clancy, the judge noted that the amounts involved were lower and all three were young men with their "futures in front of them".

Olumide Lawal

Defendant

Charges: possessing €3,020, the proceeds of money laundering, in relation to the solicitors' firm and a further unrelated count of possessing €4,650, the proceeds of crime (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Lawal was given a suspended prison sentence of two years. Imposing sentence on Salawu, Lawal and Clancy, the judge noted that the amounts involved were lower and all three were young men with their "futures in front of them".