A Circuit Court judge in Tralee has claimed young people have no idea how serious the consequences are for money laundering offences.
Judge Sinead Behan was speaking at the sentencing hearing of 24-year-old Jamie Foley O’Hara, of Listellick North, Tralee, at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court.
Mr Foley O’Hara pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.
Mr O’Foley Hara admitted to converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing, or using property which was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
This is an offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.
This related to a sum of €10,000, credited to an AIB account.
The court heard that Mr Foley O’Hara had entered a guilty plea, and was at low-risk of re-offending.
He also has no previous convictions, was just out of school at the time of the offence, and had made €500 payable to AIB, which had made a loss as a result of the offence.
Judge Sinead Behan said there’s a growing number of young people coming before her in Tralee Circuit Court charged with these offences.
Judge Behan added this clutch of young people have been exploited by criminal gangs, and the more that are coming forward, the more concern she has for people with naivety who can potentially be exploited.
She said this is an extremely serious and paralysing type of crime, and can paralyse the working of commerce and banking systems, which we all use and pay for.
Judge Behan said there has to be a realisation of what occurred and the wrong they’ve done.
She said young people are oblivious that this was a crime with potentially such serious consequences.
She urged Mr Foley O’Hara, in the interim before he is sentenced, to communicate with his temporaries, and consider how he may communicate to a local youth club or GAA club so they know how they could have their futures irreparably damaged by this.
Sergeant James Hurley from Dingle garda station indicated to the court he may be able to facilitate this, and Mr Foley O’Hara nodded his head that he would be willing to do this.
The sentencing hearing was adjourned until the New Year.
