A former professional footballer who was jailed for moving more than €2.7 million worth of heroin has been accused of having a mobile phone behind bars.
The Star has learned that disgraced former League of Ireland footballer Keith Quinn (33) is facing potential sanctions from bosses at Mountjoy Prison — after the phone was discovered in a cell on Tuesday.
Prison sources have confirmed to The Star that a mobile phone was found in a cell and taken into the possession of the Irish Prison Service.
Quinn now stands accused of allegedly being in possession of that phone.
It is understood the discovery came from a tip-off which alleged that Quinn may have been using social media on a public platform — despite him being in prison, where he’s serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
Sources say Quinn may now be handed a P19 form by Irish Prison Service bosses, meaning he will face punishment — if it is determined that the phone was his.
Punishment from a P19 will mean reduced visits, phone calls, and tuck-shop privileges for a prisoner.
It is illegal for a prisoner to have a mobile phone — and a prisoner could face a hefty fine or even increased jail time if the matter is brought to trial on indictment, and the person is convicted.
Quinn is serving his sentence after admitting to receiving a package containing a massive quantity of heroin at his place of work in an industrial estate in west Dublin.
Soon afterwards he met with another man and then delivered the package to a nearby address.
He was originally sentenced to seven and half years imprisonment with three years suspended after he pleaded guilty to possession of the drug for sale or supply at Rosemount Business Park, Dublin 11, on August 5, 2020.
However the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later appealed the sentence on the grounds it was unduly lenient — and the State won its case.
The judge resentenced Quinn to eight years’ imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended.
During his trial last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Quinn — previously a professional footballer with Sheffield United and several League of Ireland clubs including Shelbourne and Longford Town — had “a very significant gambling problem” and that there was “a hold over him” due to debts he had accrued.
Detective Garda Liam Aherne told the court that in August 2020, police in the UK became suspicious of a package travelling through the UK which had been sent from the Netherlands to Ireland.
Det Gda Aherne said UK police opened the package and determined that it contained heroin before contacting gardai.
An operation was put in place to continue the delivery and on the date in question a detective dressed in a UPS uniform delivered the package to the accused’s work address in the Dublin industrial estate.
The package, which was had the name “Keith” on the address label, was given to Quinn who moved it to another part of the industrial estate. He was arrested shortly after and the package was recovered.
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