A 56-year-old man from Ballina in County Mayo appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in connection with allegations relating to the sale of a Spanish property owned by Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, Dublin. Michael Egan of Bunnanertish, Knockanillaun was charged with dishonestly inducing the hospice to sell the property at a loss through deception on 5 March 2015. He was returned to the Circuit Court from the District Court to face trial, which has been scheduled for 25 November 2024. Mr Egan will remain on continuing bail pending trial. Judge Martin Nolan amended his bail conditions, ordering him to sign on at his local garda station every Sunday and Monday and to provide a mobile phone number to gardaí, which must be kept fully charged at all times.
The liquidator of Arden Forestry Management Ltd, a company accused of operating as a Ponzi scheme, seeks to hold two former directors, David Peile and Garret Hevey, personally liable for the firm's €3.8 million debt. Mr Declan De Lacy, appointed liquidator in 2016, argues that the directors deceived mainly older foreign investors by promising that their money would buy forest land and later yield returns. In reality, the company spent only €133 000 on land and returned €393 000 to investors, while the bulk of the €6.4 million raised was misappropriated. Hevey was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after an appeal, and Peile to three years. De Lacy's application, presented to Mr Justice Brian O'Moore, requests High Court orders declaring the directors' intent to defraud creditors and making them personally liable for the debt. The case will return next week.
In a High Court appeal-stage matter, Davy Fitzgerald, represented by Ronnie Hudson BL and solicitor Max Mooney, contested proceedings brought by Pepper Finance and receiver James Anderson against him and his sister Helen Fitzgerald. The plaintiffs sought possession of a property in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, where Helen resides. Fitzgerald claimed he was a victim of fraud by former ACC Bank official Kevin Jarlath Mitchell, who was jailed in April 2013 after pleading guilty to theft, obtaining cash and a cheque under false pretences, and falsifying a DIRT compliance certificate between January 1993 and February 2012. Mitchell's four-year sentence was later halved on appeal. Fitzgerald alleged Mitchell falsely added his name to Portuguese mortgage documents and that €45,000 in deposits is unaccounted for. He argued that Pepper Finance, described as a vulture fund, was preventing him from redeeming a €200,000 mortgage by demanding an unjustified €25,000 interest surcharge. Deputy Master John Glennon initially struck out the case due to the plaintiffs' non-appearance. However, after the plaintiffs requested reinstatement, citing a brief delay, and Fitzgerald's counsel opposed, Glennon stated he lacked the power to reverse the decision without party consent. He noted the matter would likely be reinstated on appeal or re-issued, effectively leaving the case unresolved and subject to further procedural steps.
Mervyn Tanner, a 47‑year‑old former financial advisor from Mallow, was found guilty of defrauding five people of €209,900 between November 2010 and March 2016. He pleaded guilty to seven charges of using a false instrument under Section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act and theft under Section 4 of the same act. The Court of Appeal, hearing the appeal before Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, dismissed Tanner's appeal. Mr Justice Edwards noted that the breach of trust was aggravated by the vulnerability of some victims, including a woman who had recently lost her brother, and by Tanner's continued fraudulent activity after his licence was revoked in 2014. The appeal was dismissed, confirming the five‑year sentence imposed by the Cork Circuit Court.
A 21-year-old student from Dublin has received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to handling criminal proceeds and money laundering offences. Michael Fakinle, with an address in Rathfarnham, allowed his Bank of Ireland account to be used by unknown individuals operating a fraud scheme targeting multiple victims across Ireland. Between 2020 and 2021, the account received funds obtained through email hacking, including a retirement fund of €71,892.41 belonging to a recently retired woman in the southwest, which was recovered before being removed. Other victims, including business owners in Donegal, Cork, and the midlands, lost sums ranging from €1,100 to €5,000 that were never recovered. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Pauline Codd imposed concurrent sentences totalling three and a half years, suspended for four years on strict conditions. She noted Fakinle operated at a low level within the conspiracy but acknowledged his recklessness in engaging with criminal associates. The court ordered €1,000 compensation be distributed among injured parties.
The High Court granted the Criminal Assets Bureau a Section 3 order to seize a five‑bedroom luxury mansion in Saggart, west Dublin, which the court deemed to be proceeds of crime linked to cartel boss Daniel Kinahan, 45. The property, valued at €750,000 in 2013 and likely worth more now, was described as "effectively owned" by Kinahan. In an affidavit, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland alleged that Kinahan sanctioned several murders in the Hutch/Kinahan feud and was involved in drug trafficking, weapons importation and money laundering. CAB presented evidence that Kinahan had lived in the house, including a passport and a Ryanair boarding pass in his name, and that €3,850 in cash was found in a hidden compartment. The court was satisfied that Kinahan and Thomas "Bomber" Kavanagh were in control of the property and the cash, that they had been duly served, and that no evidence of a contrary claim was presented.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced Patrick Lawlor (56) and Ross Hanway (32) for their roles in an organised crime gang's money laundering operation. Both pleaded guilty to possessing €412,000 in proceeds of crime on May 26, 2020. Lawlor, of Collins Avenue West, also pleaded guilty to possessing €477,370 in cash, foreign currency, and an encrypted mobile phone. Hanway, of Ashbourne, Co Meath, was found to have acted as a courier. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a sentence of eight years on Lawlor, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Hanway received a four-year sentence, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the gang had an income of nearly €12 million in 2019. Ian Lawlor (24), also of Collins Avenue West, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and €12,000 in cash found in his bedroom. Judge Greally stated his offending was a separate enterprise. He was sentenced to three years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. All three defendants had no previous convictions and entered early guilty pleas.
Patryk Kazimianiec, 40, was found with €43,390 worth of drugs and €33,265 in cash in his Dublin home. Gardaí seized cannabis, amphetamines and MDMA tablets during a search authorised by a warrant. He pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply and money laundering on 22 June 2021. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Kazimianiec's intent to sell and the profit indicated by the cash, described him as "into drug dealing in a pretty serious way" and sentenced him to four and a half years' imprisonment. The judge highlighted Kazimianiec's remorse letter and his wife's supportive letter, and noted his good character and family devotion, but concluded that owning and dealing the drugs warranted a harsher sentence than mere transport. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
In a High Court case, French film star Dany Boon has been allowed to add several new defendants to his fraud claim. Boon alleges he is the victim of a multi‑million‑euro fraud orchestrated by Thierry Fialek‑Birles, who he says uses a network of companies across the West Indies, the United States, Monaco and Ireland. The new defendants include US‑registered American Sail & Motor Navigation Inc, Amalgamated Plantations Company Ltd (British Virgin Islands), Asia Monaco Investments Ltd (Lusk Co Dublin), Asia Monaco (Monaco), Sail & Motor Navigation Company Limited (Antigua and Barbuda), and several Irish‑registered entities such as South Sea Merchant's Mariners Ltd Partnership, Hibernian Petroleum Limited Partnership, United Irish Estates Limited, Hibernian Yachts Company Limited, and Samoa‑registered United Far East Oriental Holdings (Samoa) Ltd. Boon's lawyers seek freezing and disclosure orders against these parties, following a prior freezing order that prevented the defendants from reducing assets below €6 million.
Three members of the Hehir family appeared before the Special Criminal Court on 10 October 2022. Sandra Hehir (54) was charged with nine non‑scheduled offences, Vicky Hehir (29) with four, and Warren Hehir (32) with two, all under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2010 for money laundering and terrorist financing. The alleged offences involved handling, acquiring or possessing cash totalling €59,000, and in Sandra's case an additional €124,055, between 1 January 2017 and 18 June 2020. She was also charged with unlawful possession of cannabis for sale. Vicky and Warren were charged with handling or possessing Rolex watches. The court received three books of evidence, the accused were granted legal aid, and Sandra's bail terms were altered to three days a week. All three were remanded on continuing bail until 14 November for a further mention.
Derek Murray, 39, of Dublin 13, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to possessing €379,400 of proceeds of crime. The money was found in a boot bag and a Lidl shopping bag in his work van on 24 May 2021, when Garda surveillance of a property linked to money laundering and drug supply was underway. Murray claimed he had been approached by a third party who offered him €1,500 to transport the cash, and that he was in severe financial distress, owing €6,000 to the Revenue. He admitted the bag contained a large amount of money and cooperated with Gardaí, handing over his phone and password. He had no prior convictions and had worked as a technician for 21 years. Judge Nolan, acknowledging his remorse and good character, imposed the custodial sentence as a deterrent, noting that a non‑custodial option was unlikely given the seriousness of the offence.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Detective Garda David Jennings explained that Amanda Fitzgerald, a 39‑year‑old mother of five, was coerced by painters to provide her bank details and mobile phone access. The painters, who had increased the quoted cost of a kitchen painting from €250 to €500, demanded payment through her account. After Fitzgerald supplied the information, the details were passed to a west Dublin gang that used her account to receive €3,100 of money stolen from another woman's bank account via a "smishing" text. From Fitzgerald's account, €2,400 was moved to a Revolut account and €700 was withdrawn in cash. Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to money laundering on 21 January 2021. Judge Elma Sheahan discharged her from the charge, imposing a six‑month bond to keep the peace under the Probation Act, citing the duress she faced and her role as a mother.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced three men for their roles in a romance fraud that caused a woman in her sixties to lose over €254,000 in life savings. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Omowale Owolabi (31) of Navan, Co Meath, to three years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft. Raak Sami Sadu (32) of Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. Samson Ajayi (33) of Grangerath, Co Meath, received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to three money laundering charges. The court heard the defendants used a fake profile named Neil Turner on Plenty of Fish to deceive the victim, who made ten payments between November 2019 and mid-2020. Gardaí linked the profile to the three Nigerian nationals and seized devices containing evidence of the scheme, including messages regarding the division of funds. Owolabi admitted receiving €30,000 for his role, while Ajayi admitted receiving money but claimed ignorance of wrongdoing. Sadu made limited admissions. The judge noted the defendants' early guilty pleas, cooperation, remorse, and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors, while emphasizing the severe damage such fraud inflicts on victims who often feel humiliated.
The High Court granted orders allowing the joint official liquidators of Wirecard Ireland Ltd to return over €1.16 million to Orange and Vodafone, and to release about €800,000 held by the Irish entity that came from VISA and SFR. The orders were made after the court found Wirecard UK and Ireland Ltd insolvent and unable to pay its debts. The liquidators argued that the funds were held in trust for the telecommunications companies and had never been assigned to individual cardholders. They also sought to use €724,780 paid to Wirecard Ireland between 2013 and 2015, and €81,000 paid by VISA, as part of the distribution to creditors. The court approved these reliefs, allowing the specified amounts to be made available to the creditors.
A divorced couple received fully suspended sentences at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for money laundering nearly €180,000 stolen through an invoice redirect fraud targeting an education board. Zanab Ibrahim, aged 51, of Wolfe Tone Street in Cavan, and her ex-husband Francis Falaye, aged 54, of Lobinstown Apartment in Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to the offence. The Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board was defrauded when an email purporting to come from a construction company redirected payment for school works in Tullamore to accounts controlled by the defendants. Ibrahim received €178,695 into her fashion boutique account, from which €50,000 was transferred to Falaye four days later. The fraud emerged when the genuine contractor advised non-receipt of payment. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a suspended two-and-a-half-year sentence on each defendant, conditional on keeping the peace. Falaye was ordered to pay €1,000 to the Peter McVerry Trust. Gardaí recovered all but €1,000 of the stolen funds.
Patrick O'Brien, aged 39, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for defrauding a 72‑year‑old woman of €30,590. Between January and March 2019, O'Brien and two accomplices posed as roofers, claiming to fix the victim's roof, chimney and install solar panels. They persuaded her to allow them onto her roof, then showed her a photograph of birds nesting in a roof to convince her that work was needed. The woman withdrew €2,500 from her bank and repeatedly gave money to O'Brien, who acted as a money collector. The fraud ended when a bank employee questioned the withdrawals and the victim was advised not to give further money. O'Brien was identified on CCTV and arrested in May 2020. He has over 70 prior convictions and is currently serving a sentence for a similar deception offence. Patrick O'Brien pleaded guilty.
A 37-year-old man charged with directing a criminal organisation will face trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court following a successful application by the State. The accused was first charged at Sligo District Court in January 2022 and appeared before Mr Justice Tony Hunt this week, where the order for non-jury trial was granted. He is remanded in custody at Castlerea Prison pending a further court appearance next Friday. The man is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between October 2019 and January 2022. He also faces two counts of money laundering relating to an alleged €27,100 in proceeds of criminal conduct at his home in County Sligo in June 2020.
Kasim Muchhala, a 34‑year‑old accountant from Temple Woods, Dublin, allowed a colleague, referred to in court as "Suspect A", to use his bank account on several occasions between January and October 2019. Muchhala pleaded guilty to money laundering on the basis of recklessness when €72,070 was transferred into his account. Detective Garda David Egan said Suspect A stole €1.2 million from the company by filing fraudulent expense claims, and that €72,050 was laundered through Muchhala's account. Muchhala received no reward or money for his role. His defence argued he was unaware of the source of the funds and had trusted his long‑standing friendship with Suspect A. Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Muchhala did not know the account was being used to defraud another entity and, considering his good character, suspended an 18‑month sentence on strict conditions.
Thomas Kelly, a 35‑year‑old Dublin City Council worker, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of money laundering for transporting €10,000 in crime cash to settle a €700 drug debt. On 19 October 2019, Garda Sean Kelly of Finglas Garda Station stopped a silver car driven by Kelly, who appeared nervous. A search uncovered €250 in a white envelope and a package marked 'H2O' beneath the driver's seat, which contained the €10,000. Kelly admitted he had agreed to deliver the cash to Liffey Valley to reduce his drug debt and also mentioned a gambling debt. He has 14 prior convictions, mainly district court offences, and had previously repaid part of his debts from wages, leaving a final balance of €700. No one has claimed the money, which the Gardaí consider proceeds of crime.
James Carpenter, 31, of Ardee, Co. Louth, was sentenced in Dublin for fraud involving €500 Electric Picnic tickets and rental deposits. He promised tickets to a woman who paid via bank transfer after seeing a Gumtree advert; the tickets never arrived and Carpenter ignored her emails. He also scammed multiple tenants, taking deposits and first‑month rent for rooms advertised online, claiming false reasons for delays such as a supposed death of his mother or inheritance of the property. Gardaí recovered no money. Carpenter had previously been at large until April 2021, when he was arrested under a European arrest warrant and extradited after serving a six‑month sentence in Scotland for similar offences. He has 21 prior convictions, 10 in Scotland. He pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and was sentenced to six months for the ticket fraud and two years for the accommodation scams, with both terms running concurrently and back‑dated for time already served.
In a High Court hearing on 14 July 2022, French actor Dany Boon, represented by Rossa Fanning SC, claimed he was the victim of a sophisticated multi‑million‑euro fraud. Boon alleged that Thierry Fialek‑Birles, who posed as an Irish lord and maritime law expert, misled him into investing over €6.7 million through a network of companies, including South Sea Merchant's Mariners Ltd Partnership (SSMM) and others registered in Ireland and Samoa. Boon said he advanced €2.2 million for yacht maintenance and €4.5 million for a purported investment scheme with the Irish Central Bank, both of which he claims were never realised. He further alleged that SSMM was taken over by a fictitious Rossi family and that the money was transferred to accounts in South Korea and Panama.
Ndricim Qema, 27, an asylum seeker who had arrived from Albania in 2018 and lived in Direct Provision, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for his role in a people‑smuggling operation that illegally brought 12 Albanian nationals into Ireland. Qema pleaded guilty to three counts of people smuggling at Dublin airport in 2019, and to one count each of money laundering, possessing a false instrument and using a false instrument at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had been in custody since April 2021 and had 29 prior convictions, mainly for alcohol theft. Gardaí recovered a phone containing 30 photos of false IDs and messages linking Qema to his father, a senior smuggler, and to others seeking to enter Ireland. The judge described Qema as an "integral part" of the operation in Ireland, noting that the leaders were based in Albania. The sentence was back‑dated to the time of his arrest.
Marius Cristea, 56, was sentenced to 20 months in jail for fraudulently claiming €84,099 in jobseeker's allowance over seven years. He worked at a golf club under a false identity while claiming benefits under his own name from 2013 to 2020. Cristea pleaded guilty to eight counts of social welfare fraud at Dodsboro post office between December 2013 and March 2020 and one count of producing a false instrument at Naas Golf Club on 14 January 2019. Garda Anna Masterson explained that after his business failed during the recession, he assumed the identity of a former employee to work at the club and continued to claim benefits. He received cash in hand and claimed an additional €11,000 until March 2020. He has repaid €3,482 to date. Cristea has no prior convictions in Ireland but has historic convictions in Romania.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Simon Dominican Byrne, 40, received a two‑year suspended sentence for two counts of deception after he falsely presented insurance certificates to Mary Ring, who had engaged him to build an extension on her home. Byrne claimed to be insured, but the certificates were fabricated, and he was uninsured when he began work. Ring said the deception caused her and her husband to lose their savings and forced them to live in a home without heating. Byrne admitted the mistake, citing debt and mental health issues, and the judge noted his personal stress and family responsibilities. The judge imposed concurrent two‑year sentences, suspended in full, with strict conditions including probation and therapy. The case remains subject to ongoing civil proceedings regarding the loss suffered by the homeowners.
At a sentence hearing on 11 July 2022, Judge Martin Nolan imposed a suspended sentence of two and a half years on 34‑year‑old Valentin Radu for money laundering involving €1,500 withdrawn from an AIB account in November 2020. Radu had withdrawn the money for a friend who did not have a face mask, claiming he was not involved in a criminal organisation and that he had been taken advantage of. The judge noted that the State and the court had suspicions but was confined by the plea entered. Radu had a prior road‑traffic conviction. Gardaí believed he was in control of an account that had received a fraudulent transfer of €743,000, but all but €2,100 of that sum was recovered. Radu denied knowledge of the fraudulent emails and said he had no online access to the account. The judge emphasised that the plea limited the court's ability to impose a harsher sentence. Valentin Radu pleaded guilty.
Gerard Russell, a 55‑year‑old former purchasing and procurement manager at St Vincent's University Hospital, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft and deception for fraudulently using a company credit card to purchase items worth €22,353 between August 2014 and June 2015. An audit triggered by domestic‑and‑personal purchases revealed the misuse, and items were delivered to the hospital and recovered from Russell's home. He had no prior convictions and no victim impact statement. Judge Martin Nolan, considering Russell's cooperation, guilty pleas, lack of criminal record, letters from acquaintances, and a psychological report, imposed a three‑year suspended sentence and ordered the €22,353 to be paid back to the hospital within one week. Russell's wife and other family members provided letters describing his struggles with alcoholism, depression, and bipolar disorder, and his efforts to recover. The court noted Russell's job loss and public humiliation as part of the case context.
The Supreme Court declined to hear Ben Gilroy and his wife Sarah Jane Gilroy's appeal against a possession order granted to Start Mortgages DAC for their Navan home. The Court found no point of general public importance had been raised. The Gilroys had argued that a fraud had occurred involving the lender and a solicitor, and that changes had been made to the mortgage documentation. The Circuit Court rejected these claims, finding them farfetched and unsupported, and the High Court confirmed the absence of evidence for fraud. The Gilroys sought a priority hearing and referral to EU courts, but the Supreme Court held that their due‑process rights had been fully addressed in lower courts and that it could not revisit the earlier findings. The application was dismissed by a panel of three judges, including Mr Justice Peter Charleton, Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe and Mr Justice Brian Murray.
In a Dublin Circuit Court hearing, Buti Sashi, aged 26, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for a series of offences. He was found guilty of assaulting two women, one of whom he choked and threatened with a knife, and of theft involving €35,000 obtained through an invoice‑redirection fraud. The court heard that Sashi had supplied a prostitute with his bank account details, which was used to transfer the money. He pleaded guilty to the theft and the assaults. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a three‑year sentence for each assault, to run concurrently, and a two‑year sentence for the theft, back‑dated for time already served and consecutive to the assault sentences. The total custodial term was five years. The case highlighted the use of a mobile phone and CCTV evidence in linking Sashi to the crimes. The court noted his drug addiction and expressed regret for his actions. The sentences were delivered in November 2021.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Jessica Serra, aged 30, received a two‑year suspended sentence for laundering €72,000 that was fraudulently transferred from Bus Eireann to a misdirected GoBus bank account. The fraud began when Bus Eireann updated its bank details after receiving an email from a GoBus address in October 2019. The money was never received by GoBus, leading Gardaí to freeze the account and arrest Serra. She claimed a man offered her €3,000 to use his account, which she declined at first but later accepted after learning her surgery in Turkey would cost €6,000. At the time of the fraud, only €44,000 remained in her account. Serra had no prior convictions, was originally from Italy, and had worked as a babysitter and at Dunnes Stores. She was described as vulnerable, suffering from depression, and concerned about her father's health.
Patrick Sheedy, 53, was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for a series of fraud offences. He had previously been convicted 97 times, about 70 of them for fraud. While on bail for earlier convictions, he carried out new crimes between January and March 2020. He pretended to be a documentary maker for RTE and convinced an electronics company to supply an iPad and 15 mobile phones, claiming a sick child would use them. The company lost €13,539 when Sheedy failed to pay. He also posed as a Department of Education employee and ordered 12 mobile phones from an educational supplies company, losing €9,801. Additionally, he claimed to work for BMW and ordered five iPhones worth €4,200 from a mobile phone company, again not paying. He pleaded guilty to six counts of deception and four counts of theft.
Iheanyichukwu Banna, 35, of Clonee, Dublin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possessing over €63,000 derived from an invoice redirection fraud. Judge Martin Nolan stated that the offence could not have been carried out without Banna's complicity, inferring he was "up to his neck in it," despite defence counsel arguing the plea was based on recklessness. The court heard that a Kilkenny-based company was defrauded in July 2018 when a bogus email directed a €63,043 payment to a Permanent TSB account. Records showed the funds were transferred to Banna's account, with €5,000 sent to his brother in the UK and €25,000 moved to his savings account within an hour. Banna initially claimed ignorance, alleging a man named Kelvin used his account, but could not explain the transactions. Gardaí recovered €42,000, leaving the victim with a €21,000 loss. Judge Nolan noted Banna's good employment record and lack of prior convictions, describing his conduct as bordering on "wilful blindness." He sentenced Banna to three years' imprisonment, fully suspended on the condition that he be of good behaviour for the duration of the sentence.
Vincent Kelly, 37, a taxi driver from Kilmore, Dublin, was jailed for 18 months after being found with €112,000 of crime cash hidden in a secret compartment of his VW Passat. The money was not for his use; he acted as a courier. Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to money laundering in January 2021 and had four prior convictions for road traffic offences. Judge Melanie Greally, acknowledging his cooperation and remorse, suspended the final 18 months of a three‑year sentence, ordering the confiscation of his taxi and a Rolex watch. She noted his cocaine and gambling addictions as motivating factors. Kelly has been in full‑time employment since May and has received character references, including from Kilmore Football Club. Gardaí discovered the hidden compartment after a warrant‑driven search of his home and vehicle. The case was prosecuted by Diarmuid Collins BL, with defence counsel Ger Small BL.
In a High Court judgment, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter quashed the Minister for Justice's decision to cancel a Pakistani man's residency permit, which had been based on a finding that he had entered a marriage of convenience and had fraudulently submitted false information. The judge found no material indicating that the information was fraudulent or that a forged marriage certificate had been presented. He noted that the Minister's decision suffered from two infirmities: a lack of evidence of fraud and a failure to properly engage with the evidence and submissions regarding the alleged marriage of convenience. Consequently, the decision was invalidated, and the man's application for a residency card was remitted back to the Minister for a fresh determination. The judgment focused solely on the procedural shortcomings of the Minister's decision and did not address the merits of the marriage‑of‑convenience allegation. The man's case was brought in 2021, and the court's ruling was issued on 21 June 2022.
The Special Criminal Court ordered the forfeiture of a black Mercedes S350, valued at about €50,000, from Thomas Rooney, a 52‑year‑old member of an international crime gang. Rooney had pleaded guilty to money‑laundering offences under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act 2010, and was found in possession of large sums of cash and encrypted devices. The vehicle, purchased in 2018 for €72,000, was used by Rooney to transport cash as part of an industrial‑scale laundering operation. The court noted that the car could have been used for legitimate business but that its use in criminal activity made it subject to forfeiture. Rooney was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in January of this year. The forfeiture order was granted by Mr Justice Tony Hunt.
Valentin Bulgaru, a 33‑year‑old Romanian national, was arrested in Dublin on 31 July 2021 after Gardaí found €104,905 in cash in his car. He pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. Garda Brian McDermott described how Bulgaru was seen driving around the shopping centre, handling an object in the passenger seat, and later revealing the cash was intended to buy a truck in Belgium. Prosecutor Oisin Clarke noted that Bulgaru had accrued a €9,000 debt to a criminal gang and agreed to launder money to pay €3,500 of that debt. Defence lawyer Rónán Prendergast said Bulgaru had lived in the UK for one or two years, worked as a truck driver, and had minimal ties to Ireland, visiting only to collect the money. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended and a five‑year ban on re‑entry to Ireland.
Mary Kennedy, a 46‑year‑old former accounts worker at St Columcille's Hospital, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for stealing more than €670,000 over a 16‑year period. Kennedy devised a fraudulent scheme that involved issuing cheques to doctors who were not actually employed by the hospital. After the hospital's computerisation in 2019, she arranged for the money to be paid into her brother‑in‑law Paul Leeson's account, who later returned the funds to her and made a €5,000 profit. Kennedy pleaded guilty to 16 counts of theft and two counts of fraud covering 2004‑2020, while Leeson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing the proceeds of crime between June 2019 and October 2020. Judge Martin Nolan, noting mitigating factors such as Kennedy's health problems, lack of prior convictions and role as a mother, imposed a two‑year sentence, which was fully suspended for Leeson.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, faces 21 counts of theft involving about €27 million from seven banks. The prosecution alleges Lynn secured multiple mortgages on the same properties without the banks' knowledge, using the funds for overseas property developments. Lynn maintains that the banks were aware of his multiple loans and that such arrangements were customary among bankers during the Celtic Tiger era. He claims he had "secret deals" with several bankers, including a profit‑share agreement with former Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton for a Portuguese development. Defence counsel argues that Lynn made monthly repayments and that the banks had no complaints until a solicitor, Fiona McAleenan, contacted the Law Society in 2007. Judge Martin Nolan directed the jury to acquit if they find Lynn had the banks' permission to use the loans, and to consider the State's case only if they cannot prove deception beyond a reasonable doubt.
Patrick Flynn, 33, from Cork, is wanted in France for alleged involvement in a gang that sold poor‑quality driveways to homeowners in south‑west France. The men reportedly misrepresented the material as tarmacadam while actually using gravel and concrete, and they began work immediately after payment, bypassing the 14‑day cooling‑off period required by French law. Customers claim they could not locate the men after paying and that the companies used for payments were fictitious, with invoices not complying with regulations. French prosecutors have issued a European Arrest Warrant charging Flynn with money laundering, fraud and membership of a criminal organisation. If extradited and convicted, he faces up to 10 years' imprisonment. The High Court heard the warrant details and adjourned the case to 30 June.
James Mohite, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering after a Dublin company mistakenly paid €6,370 and two smaller sums into his bank account when it was believed to be a supplier's. The company's owner discovered the error, contacted Gardaí, and provided bank documents. A search of Mohite's Balbriggan home revealed a bank document linking him to the fraudulent account. Mohite admitted his account had been hacked and that he had supplied his details to a third party, who promised €1,000. He had no prior relevant convictions except for driving without insurance. Judge Elma Sheahan, after considering mitigating factors such as his early guilty plea and family background, imposed a two‑year prison sentence suspended in full for two years, conditional on Mohite keeping the peace and behaving well.
Aaron Reilly, 27, of Harelawn Park, Clondalkin, was jailed for 12 months, with the last four months suspended, after pleading guilty to money laundering. He had received over €8,000 that was fraudulently misdirected from a Turkish company to his account, which he withdrew for personal use. The company tried to recall the money; Reilly's account was frozen with only €41 left. He had 20 prior convictions, including two for theft. Judge Melanie Greally noted his guilty plea, personal adversity, employment history, and desire to return to work. She highlighted that the offence involved no significant personal gain and that a custodial sentence was not necessarily appropriate, but she imposed the sentence with a suspended portion. The case was prosecuted by Rónán Prendergast BL, who cited the AIB bank referral and the fact that Reilly was not the intended recipient. The Gardaí believed he was recruited to facilitate the transfer but seized the opportunity to withdraw money for himself.
During his trial for 21 counts of theft, former solicitor Michael Lynn, aged 53, denied stealing any money from Irish banks. He claimed the alleged €27 million theft was incorrect and that he had not forged or misrepresented any undertakings. Lynn said he had a long history of lending with the banks and that they were aware of his intended use of the loans. He argued that the banks' different system of undertakings was not a factor in any alleged fraud. Lynn also stated he had served five years in prison in Brazil and was fighting the charges because he believed the banks knew what was happening. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Lynn was not legally obliged to remain in Ireland when he travelled abroad. The trial continues. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a 21-year-old student pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime and money laundering following a fraud scheme in which victims' emails were hacked and their money redirected to his bank account. The defendant allowed his Bank of Ireland account to be used by an unknown third party between 2020 and 2021. A recently retired woman from the south-west had her pension fund of €71,892.41 transferred into the account in May 2020, but it was recovered within four days. However, other victims lost money that was never returned: a water filtration company shareholder lost €5,000, a Kinsale restaurant owner lost €1,339, a midlands pharmacist lost €3,251, and a Donegal construction company lost €1,100. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned sentencing to October 7 to allow for a probation report and to give the defendant time to raise additional compensation funds. He had lodged €500 in court.
In a case heard by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Mohamed Saleh Zayed, a 72‑year‑old taxi driver from Dublin, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment for fraudulently claiming over €345,000 in social welfare payments between March 2003 and November 2015. Zayed pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and six counts of deception, using a second PPS number to obtain disability, rent and dietary allowance payments for which he was not entitled. He had been working as a taxi driver throughout the period and had no financial need to commit the offences. The judge noted that Zayed had repaid a substantial amount of the money and had an arrangement to reduce the State's loss to €159,118. He was ordered to exhibit good behaviour for 12 months after release and was placed in a low‑security prison at his request. The case was aided by facial‑recognition technology used by Gardaí.
At the Special Criminal Court, the State applied for the forfeiture of a 2018 Mercedes S-Class registered to Thomas Rooney (52), a Betaghstown resident described as a mid-to-high level gang member. Rooney pleaded guilty in July 2023 to possessing €289,770 and £65,000 in crime cash at a Drogheda car park, along with two further charges involving €254,840 and €7,650, all under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act 2010. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in January 2024. His then-partner, Catherine Dawson (44), received a fully suspended sentence of three years and nine months in May 2023 for her role in moving the gang's money, suspended on condition of good behaviour for five years. The State argued the vehicle, held by Rooney's company EBT Executive Travel Ltd, was integral to the offence, citing texts sent from a phone plugged into the car to coordinate the transfer of cash. Defence counsel John D Fitzgerald SC argued the car was used for legitimate business and that forfeiture would cause undue hardship. Presiding judge Mr Justice Hunt remarked that Rooney would have been better off with a cheaper vehicle. The matter was adjourned to June 2 for a decision on the forfeiture.
Rebecca Mukoko, a 21‑year‑old nursing student, was charged with one count of money laundering for acting as a money mule in a fraud that cost an international energy company €6,541. She supplied her bank card, PIN and online banking details to a "friend of a friend," who used her account to transfer the money. Mukoko claimed she was pressured and received no financial benefit. She had no prior convictions. Judge Martin Nolan accepted her "bad error of judgment," noted her good future prospects, and, after a six‑month period of good behaviour, discharged her from the indictment, imposing a €400 fine. The judge warned that similar cases would likely result in custodial sentences, stressing that this discharge is not a precedent. The court heard that the fraudulent transfer involved a Kuwaiti energy company and that the money was withdrawn via an ATM and online transfer. Rebecca Mukoko pleaded guilty.
Former Taxing Master James Flynn and his firm, JT Flynn and Co Solicitors, have launched High Court judicial review proceedings against the Garda Commissioner, the DPP, and a District Court judge. The applicants seek to quash a warrant that authorised the search and seizure of confidential documents, files, and Mr Flynn's mobile phone from their Dublin City Centre offices. The search relates to a Garda investigation into alleged money laundering, which the applicants claim is a "spurious investigation" linked to a dispute over the exchange of damaged banknotes valued at €4,400. Mr Flynn was arrested and held for questioning for two days. The applicants allege the warrant was unlawful, breached privacy and property rights, and ignored less intrusive methods. They seek the return of seized items, disclosure of information used to obtain the warrant, and a decision by the DPP on whether a criminal offence occurred. The Law Society, Central Bank of Ireland, and European Central Bank are notice parties. The matter was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan on Monday. Counsel sought an urgent hearing, but the judge did not accept the matter was sufficiently urgent given the raid occurred over a month ago. Consequently, the case was adjourned to a date later this month, after Easter.
Mary Aderonke Adeola, 41, of Mac Uilliam Green, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of money laundering for allowing over €20,000 obtained from an email redirect fraud to be transferred into her account and withdrawn. The fraud involved emails purporting to be from an Irish brewing company that claimed the company's bank details had changed, leading to €15,718 being transferred into her account in November 2019 and withdrawn, and a further €6,862 in December 2019, of which she partially withdrew before the account was frozen. Adeola repaid the unrecovered amount from the second transfer. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced her to 12 months imprisonment, suspended in its entirety on strict conditions, including payment of over €500 to the Red Cross for Ukrainian nationals. She has no prior convictions and was described as a good mother of five with an excellent employment history in the caring sector.
Sean William O'Rourke, 21, an apprentice electrician, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering after he answered a Snapchat advertisement offering a "couple of thousand euro" for handing over his bank card. He admitted giving his card to a money launderer, who used his account to transfer €52,186 into a wrong account. The fraudulent sum was traced to O'Rourke's account, which was frozen, and the €50,000 was returned to the company. O'Rourke had no prior convictions. At a sentencing hearing in November, Judge Martin Nolan noted the prevalence of similar cases involving young people with no criminal record. The judge decided not to jail O'Rourke and instead ordered 100 hours of community service, subject to suitability by the Probation Service. The Probation Service confirmed his suitability, and the sentence was confirmed today. The case highlights the involvement of criminal gangs in Tallaght, Blanchardstown and Coolock in money‑laundering operations.
A man from Finglas has been jailed for purchasing two vehicles that were used in an arson attack on a property seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau. Joseph Richards, aged 30, of Lanesborough Square, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of money laundering between August 6 and August 12, 2020. Gardaí identified Richards as a suspect through analysis of mobile phone records and CCTV footage. During interview, he stated he was unaware the cars would be used for arson and had simply purchased them for payment without enquiring about their intended use. Richards has 83 previous convictions, including robbery and drug-related offences. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a sentence of three years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions. The judge noted Richards played an important but subordinate role in what she described as an enterprise orchestrated by more significant criminal elements. She observed that whilst in custody and abstinent from drugs, he demonstrates capacity for prosocial living and remains motivated to overcome his addiction.
A trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard evidence that documents purporting to bear the signature and stamp of accountancy firm Kinsella Mitchell & Associates were not produced by that firm. Michael Lynn, aged 53, faces 21 charges relating to the alleged theft of approximately €27 million from seven financial institutions between October 2006 and April 2007. He denies all charges. The prosecution alleges that Lynn obtained multiple mortgages on the same properties without banks' knowledge of other financing arrangements, and submitted false financial documentation. A partner at Kinsella Mitchell & Associates testified that statements of affairs dated April 2007 and November 2006, both purporting to bear his firm's credentials, were not genuine documents prepared by his practice. A former fraud officer for ACC Bank gave evidence regarding a mortgage application for Glenlion House in Howth, County Dublin, approved for €3.78 million in 2007. The trial, before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury, continues.