Courts / Cork / Report
Former accountant laundered nearly €290k in fraud cash
Summary
A former accountant has been sentenced to three years and nine months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for laundering nearly €290,000 through his bank account. Cyril Keegan (54), with an address in County Cork, pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering between 2017 and 2018. The court heard he acted as a conduit for convicted launderer Simon Gold, facilitating transfers including over €180,000 from a Canadian medical cannabis company. Funds were rapidly dispersed after arriving in Keegan's account. His partner, Ruth Kennedy (55), received a suspended two-year sentence after pleading guilty to failing to disclose information to gardaí. Judge Martin Nolan noted the substantial distress caused to defrauded parties. Gold, formerly of Athlone, County Westmeath, was previously jailed for seven-and-a-half years for laundering €1.6 million.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former accountant laundered nearly €290k in fraud cash. Charges or matters: three counts of money laundering on dates between 2017 and 2018, with the sums involved amounting to a total of €288,650, Jane McGowan BL, prosecuting, told the court; one count of failing to disclose information to gardaí on July 26, 2021 under Section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 26, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2017 and 2018 Other
- 2026-05-11 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: three counts of money laundering on dates between 2017 and 2018, with the sums involved amounting to a total of €288,650, Jane McGowan BL, prosecuting, told the court; one count of failing to disclose information to gardaí on July 26, 2021 under Section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Cyrol Keegan was jailed today for three years, nine months while Kennedy was given a suspended two-year sentence. Handing down sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said Keegan involved himself with Simon Gold and allowed his bank account to be used to transfer funds. "He must have known he was involved in this fraudulent behaviour," the judge said, later adding: "Mr Keegan must have known this was a case where these parties were going to be defrauded of monies." He said he had read the victim impact statement which was handed into court and that great distress had been caused to the injured parties who lost money.
Convicted Person
Charges: three counts of money laundering on dates between 2017 and 2018, with the sums involved amounting to a total of €288,650, Jane McGowan BL, prosecuting, told the court; one count of failing to disclose information to gardaí on July 26, 2021 under Section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Places mentioned
Topics
Related court reports
- Mentally ill man who put fellow psychiatric patient in chokehold to be immediately released into care of UK parents
- 'Alternative dispute resolution': man arranged 'straightener' during which dad-of-seven was stabbed to death
- Brothers who sexually assaulted teenage girls in mid-nineties can now be identified for first time
- ESB worker too late to pursue claim seeking €42k in alleged unpaid overtime
- 'No hand, act or part': Osgur Breatnach's wrongful conviction for Sallins train robbery declared a miscarriage of justice
- Migrant engineer who worked 10-hour days for under minimum wage wins €14k
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request