Waterford solicitor says the courts have seen an “avalanche” of money laundering cases
The four accused appeared at Waterford Courthouse.
There has been an “avalanche” of money laundering cases using mules and “a vast number still to come", Waterford District Court has heard.
Acting for Bryan Walsh (31), 2 Apian Close, Ardkeen Village, who pleaded guilty to four counts of money laundering, solicitor Hilary Delahunty said that the element of recklessness in the law means that someone does not even need to know how their account details came to be used by criminals.
“Your account being used is enough. You don’t have to have given your details, and I don’t think that is the case in any other offence,” Mr Delahunty told Judge John Cheatle.
Sergeant John Phelan told the court that in September 2023, gardaí received a report that €7,840 was taken from a bank account of a person in Dublin, who had fallen prey to an An Post scam.
Bank of Ireland reported to the gardaí a number of suspicious transactions from the victim’s account to the defendant’s Revolut account.
Gardai obtained the defendant's account details and discovered that €3,780 of the victim’s total loss was taken and funneled through Walsh’s account.
The bank reimbursed the victim for the money lost.
The court was told Walsh had 12 previous convictions, including for theft, assault and affray.
Mr Delahunty said in mitigation for his client, the “mastermind” of the scam knows it is impossible for the money mule to get away with the crime because their account details are easily given to gardaí.
His client had shared his details with “a good friend” and “feels awful and stupid about it”.
He said his client was concerned for the victim and his actions were down to “if not criminality, but stupidity.” Imposing a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge Cheatle said it was a very serious matter.
