Woman jailed in prostitution money laundering case

By Claire Henry

A woman has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for money laundering charges.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Ivanilce Vailones (47) of Castle Manor, Racecourse Road, Co. Roscommon, pleaded guilty to five counts of money laundering between 2018 and 2021, with ten other counts to be taken into consideration.

She has a number of previous convictions, including assault and road traffic offences.

Passing sentence today, Ms Justice Patricia Ryan said the court has been advised that the maximum sentence available was 14 years on each count.

She noted that the co-accused, who pleaded guilty to money laundering and organised prostitution charges, was sentenced to four years in prison with the final two years suspended.

Judge Ryan said the aggravating factors in this case were the serious nature of the offending, the amount of money involved and the period of time that the offending continued for.

The judge said the mitigating factors were Vailones’s guilty plea, her remorse, her employment, her contribution to society, and that she had not coming to garda attention since she was released from custody.

Judge Ryan sentenced Vailones to four years in prison and suspended the final 28 months for two years.

She also said credit is to be given for time already served in custody.

Vailones has previously gone on trial with a co-accused charged with human trafficking, organised prostitution and money laundering.

This trial collapsed, and the jury was discharged.

The human trafficking and organised prostitution charges were dropped against Vailones.

Detective Garda Peter Breen told Garrett McCormack BL, prosecuting, that a gardai investigation was launched after two witnesses came forward and gave an account of their time in Ireland, where they were working in prostitution.

These witnesses told gardai about the persons they had dealt with and the money they had paid into certain bank accounts.

Based on this information, the gardai arrested Vailones and a co-accused.

The court heard that Vailones’s premises were searched, and items linking her to certain bank accounts were located.

The court heard that a bank account, which was referred to as the “Paulina” account, had €68,880 in it.

This account was owned by a former sex worker who had left the country in 2016.

A bank card for this account was found in Vailones’s property.

Vailones denied knowing anything about this “Paulina” account but gardai showed her CCTV footage of her using the card to withdraw money from an ATM.

Det Gda Breen said a second bank account, which was in Vailones’s name, had €57,358, and €50,709 of this money was transferred to an overseas account, which was also traced to Vailones.

The State’s case is that the money in these accounts came from prostitution.

The court heard that while Vailones has been on bail, she has not come to garda attention and has complied with her bail conditions.

Mr McCormack told the court that the maximum sentence available was 14 years on each count.

Det Gda Breen agreed with Padraig Dwyer, SC, defending, that the guilty plea was of benefit to the gardai and the prosecution.

Mr Dwyer handed letters into the court from Vailones, her mother, and her sister.

Vailones expressed her remorse for getting involved in this offending.

Counsel said while his client was on remand in prison, she engaged in many courses and that the 20 months she has already served on this matter has had an impact on her mental health.

He said that his client has now opened an online clothes shop, is raising money for cancer patients, and is giving back to the community.

He asked the court to impose a sentence that would not extend the time she had already served in prison.