Waterford man told gardaí cash found in his trouser leg was drug debt
Waterford courthouse.
A man allegedly found with over €4,000 concealed in his trousers told gardaí he was collecting a drug debt.
Christian Muresan (25), of 1 Copper Hill, Bonmahon, was charged at Waterford District Court with money laundering on March 12, 2025.
Sergeant John Phelan told the court that gardaí stopped the defendant’s car on the Waterford Road, Tramore, and on searching him found €4,300 in cash concealed in his trouser leg.
At the time he told the gardaí that he was collecting the money, which was payment for a drug debt owed to another individual and that he was paid to do so.
He later, during his interview with gardaí, denied having said that.
The court was told that the defendant had two previous convictions for drug driving.
Acting for the defendant, solicitor Ken Cunningham said that without the roadside utterance there would be no case against his client.
He said his client had been under “significant stress” as he had an issue with drugs and was “coerced” into collecting the money by someone else.
The fact that the cash was confiscated had caused additional issues for Mr Muresan.
However, since the incident, Mr Cunningham told the court his client has distanced himself from those people and he had not come to anymore garda attention.
He is now expecting his first child and is working.
Judge John Cheatle said he wanted to give the defendant time to show that this lifestyle was behind him.
The judge ordered a probation report and put the matter back to March 2027 for finalisation.
He said that if the report was “favourable”, Mr Muresan might avoid a conviction.
