Man facing trial for allegedly acting as a ‘money mule’
A WEST Dublin man is facing trial for allegedly acting as a “money mule” by allowing his bank account to be used to launder more than €51,000.
Dean Coleman had the case against him adjourned for the preparation of a book of evidence after a judge refused jurisdiction to deal with it at Blanchardstown District Court.
Blanchardstown District Court
Mr Coleman, aged 24, with an address at Dodsborough Cottages, Lucan, is charged with possession of criminal proceeds at AIB, Main Street, Lucan between June 12 and 27, 2019.
The charge is under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010.
The DPP directed summary disposal of the case in the district court, subject to the judge considering jurisdiction.
Some evidence was heard previously, but Judge David McHugh said the figure involved in the charge was “quite large” so he required further information before deciding on jurisdiction.
When the case came back before the court, Garda Hugh O’Carroll said in 2019, gardai received a referral from AIB in relation to “suspicious transactions” on an account held by the accused.
Some €51,179 was lodged into the account as a result of allegedly fraudulent transactions over a number of days, Garda O’Carroll said.
€25,000 was successfully recovered but the remainder of the money was withdrawn from Mr Coleman’s account from various ATM withdrawals and transferred to other accounts, it was alleged.
The initial offence was an invoice redirect fraud where a company is tricked into lodging money into an account to pay an invoice, the court heard.
The companies that were at a financial loss claimed money from the bank, so ultimately the bank was at a loss, Garda O’Carroll said.
The court heard others were involved and the accused was either a knowing or unwitting participant, or “at the very least reckless,” Garda O’Carroll said.
His opinion was that Mr Coleman’s alleged role put him at the “bottom step of the ladder” and he would have “benefitted very little.”
Judge McHugh refused jurisdiction after hearing the garda’s outline of proposed evidence.
He adjourned the case to January 27 for the service of a book of evidence. Mr Coleman will be sent for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when the book is ready.
