A man described in court as ‘a brother-in-law’ of key figures in the Drogheda feud has been jailed for two and a half years for money laundering on behalf of an Organised Crime Group (OCG).
Sean Connor, 20, whose partner is a sister of brothers involved in the ongoing feud, claimed he did not know the bag discovered by gardai during a search of his house contained €11,400.
He claimed he thought it was much less, but subsequently accepted the amount.
Connor, who previously lived at an address at Moneymore in Drogheda, pleaded guilty to money laundering under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering Act) by possessing €11,400, the proceeds of criminal conduct on December 11, 2019.
He has ten previous convictions dating back to when he was a juvenile, including 12 months detention for possession of an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances.
Detective Garda Paul Martin told Dundalk Circuit Court the execution of the warrant led to the discovery of the large sum of money in a bedside locker in Mr Connor’s bedroom
Broken down, there were 224 €50 notes and 10 €20 notes, the court heard.
Det Martin said the cash - €11,400- was criminally derived.
“Other than confirming the cash was his, he did not comment on the source of the cash,” said Det Martin, adding the defendant also confirmed his partner was not in any way responsible for the cash.
Det Martin said gardai are of the opinion the new address he is living at with his partner and mother-in-law - whom we are not naming for legal reasons - is the home of key players involved in the OCG involved in the Drogheda feud.
That address was not disclosed in court for operational reasons.
Defence barrister Stephen Faulkner said the defendant, who left school at a young age and had worked in a food factory, took full responsibility at the scene and he really did not know how much was in the bag.
“He has a young child and he is taking his role as a father seriously.”
“He put his cards on the table and told his employer about this case and lost his job,” Mr Faulkner added.
Mr Faulkner referred to probation reports and said the seriousness of the offence is “not lost on him.”
“The seriousness of the crime is not lost on him and there is no getting away from the manner in which this offending occurred assists organised criminal gangs and the impact that has on society as a whole and that’s something that’s acknowledged by Mr Connor,” Mr Faulkner said.
Mr Faulkner noted the Probation Service has concerns about criminal associations.
“In respect of criminal associations, the Probation Services have identified his associations but his association with OCG is through his partner’s brothers,” said Mr Faulkner.
“He is staying in the family home of his brothers-in-law and the central concern is the OCG connection with these individuals,” said Mr Faulkner.
“Those individuals have not been here for two years or more,” said Mr Faulkner.
“He is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he has a parental obligation there. That is the reason he is living where he is,” Mr Faulkner explained.
Judge Patrick Quinn noted the defendant told Probation Services he believed there would be consequences if he disclosed the identity of the persons he was storing the money for.
The judge also noted “he lives in the family home of key figures in the OCG in Drogheda - his partner’s brothers - his brothers-in-law effectively, who are known to gardai and we heard they are outside the jurisdiction for some time.”
“Although the money is not substantial - €11,400 - none the less it is a matter of public knowledge that drug dealing and its intended criminal activity is a huge problem in Louth, particularly here in Drogheda and in Dundalk,” Judge Quinn stated.
“He admitted holding the money for someone he knew to be involved in crime and that he was aware the money was obtained from criminal activity. His conduct assisted organised crime.”
Discouraging others who might be tempted to facilitate criminality within the community by holding or laundering proceeds of criminal conduct, Judge Quinn imposed a four year prison sentence but suspended the final year and a half.
