Suspended sentences for women who laundered money for Louth crime gang

By Francis Carroll, The Drogheda Independent

Two women who laundered money for an organised crime gang involved in the Drogheda drugs feud have been handed fully suspended sentences at Dundalk Circuit Court.

Leah Smith (27), St Cronan's Court, Swords, Co Dublin and Niamh McManus (39), Maudlins Lane, Duleek, Co. Meath last month admitted money laundering for the Boylan Organised Crime Group and were remanded on continuing bail.

Ms Smith is a former partner of an unnamed member of the group. It was an abusive relationship.

She was taken in by Shannon Boylan, a sister of Keith and Josh Boylan, previously named in court by Gardaí as "the leader of the organised crime group", and “second in command" respectively.

The total amount of money she laundered was €14,100 through her Revolut account on dates between July 27, 2020 and September 25, 2020.

The court heard that Ms McManus, an ex-partner of Josh Boylan, with whom she had a child, had €22,471 transferred out of her Revolut account between February 4, 2021 and April 18, 2022.

There had been an "element of control” in the relationship.

It was accepted by Gardaí that the hairdresser was reckless in her behaviour and had not benefitted.

Investigators believe that the women, who have no previous convictions, have no continuing connections to the Boylan OCG, and that they didn’t profit from this offending.

Passing sentence, Judge Dara Hayes said that this was serious offending, facilitating serious criminals in laundering their ill-gotten gains.

The defendants knew who they were involved with and the type of criminality. Fear played a role in their offending for the benefit of an organised crime group.

Imposing two-and-a-half year sentences, suspended for two-and-a-half years, on the single mothers, Judge Hayes said that they were trying their best to live prosocial lives.

What occurred appeared an aberration, notwithstanding an involvement with serious criminals.