Courts / Leitrim / Report
Fraudster jailed for role in €160k scam on finance companies
Summary
Thomas Cullen, 60, of Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of making a gain by deception. Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of five years but reduced it, noting Cullen was unlikely to reoffend and was likely the "face" of a larger scheme rather than the organiser. Cullen agreed leasing arrangements with Capital Flow Finance and Finance Ireland in March 2017, using false documents including a forged driving licence to secure over €160,000 for Hitachi excavators that were never located. Both companies remain at a loss. Cullen admitted the documents were false and stated he was paid €5,000 for his role. He has 35 previous convictions. This follows the sentencing of Charles Mavitty, 66, of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, who was jailed for two and a half years last month for defrauding financing companies of over €240,000 to buy two Hitachi excavators. Both cases are part of a major cross-border probe into scams involving the leasing of heavy plant machinery.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Fraudster jailed for role in €160k scam on finance companies. Charges or matters: two counts of making a gain by deception on May 1 and 21, 2017, when he agreed leasing arrangements with two separate finance companies. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 1 Incident
- March 1, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 21 March 2017 Other
- March 23, 2017 Incident
- 2024-04-24 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: Charles Mavitty (66) of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was also jailed for two and a half years last month after he defrauded financing companies of over €240,000 to buy two Hitachi excavators which were never located.
Convicted Person
Charges: two counts of making a gain by deception on May 1 and 21, 2017, when he agreed leasing arrangements with two separate finance companies (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Cullen is the second contractor in the space of a month to be jailed for the offence of deception, as part of a major cross-border probe into scams involving the leasing of heavy plant machinery. At a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of five years for Thomas Cullen, commenting: "He knew what he was doing." Judge Nolan said Cullen was probably unlikely to reoffend and acknowledged that there were others in the background of the scheme.
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