Courts / Meath / Report
Fraudster caught driving around in Jaguar with fake cheque
Summary
Michael Tuzuka, 46, of Orchard Drive, Stamullen, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of using false instruments for counterfeit cheques totalling €98,250, lodged between March and April 2018 at branches of Permanent TSB in Drumcondra, Swords, Malahide, Ashbourne and Drogheda. Gardaí, alerted by Permanent TSB on 12 April 2018, identified Tuzuka on CCTV making the lodgements and later spotted him driving a Jaguar to another bank at about 1 am. The cheques were immediately flagged by bank software and frozen, so no loss was incurred. Tuzuka had 11 prior convictions, including theft and abusive behaviour, and had previously served a three‑year sentence during which he contracted TB. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, noting his cleverness but that he was defeated by the software. The court heard he had struggled to find work after release and was motivated by a desire to support his family.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Fraudster caught driving around in Jaguar with fake cheque. Charges or matters: 11 counts of using false instruments, to wit counterfeit cheques, on dates between March and April 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 12, 2018 Other
- 2024-05-01 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: 11 counts of using false instruments, to wit counterfeit cheques, on dates between March and April 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Martin Nolan handed Tuzuka a three-year sentence, describing him as a "clever man, who sometimes applies his cleverness and intelligence to criminal enterprise". "But like us all, this defendant was defeated by the software," quipped Judge Nolan, noting that Tuzuka had been apprehended while driving a Jaguar to another bank. Mr Dwyer pointed out that Tuzuka was an enhanced prisoner when he served his sentence and that he has not come before the courts since 2010.
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