Security guard jailed for one year over €49,000 romance scam

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A security guard who let his bank accounts be used in a romance scam was jailed for one year. Edward Evbagharu pleaded guilty to money laundering and received a two-year sentence, with the final year suspended. Judge Dara Hayes said there was no evidence Evbagharu had defrauded the victim himself, but that he had facilitated the use of the money.

The French victim met a woman on a dating site who claimed to be a Saudi refugee in Texas and unable to access €5 million in an Irish bank account. After being asked to make payments over six months, he lost €49,188; none of it was recovered. €31,000 passed through three accounts belonging to Evbagharu, which the court heard were controlled by two co-accused.

The judge noted Evbagharu’s guilty plea, work history and personal circumstances, alongside the scheme’s sophistication and duration. The victim’s impact statement described mental and physical health problems and reliance on state support in France.