Jailed for helping with the money laundering of almost €150,000

By Eimear Dodd

A man who was caught helping with the money laundering of almost €150,000 has been jailed for four years.

Paul McGrath (66) of Portland Street North, Dublin 1, came forward from the District Court on a signed guilty plea to a charge of engaging in concealing the source of property which was the proceeds of crime, while knowing it was the proceeds of crime at the Coachman Inn, Swords Road, Cloghran on October 4, 2024.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence that members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau received confidential information about another man, who was suspected of receiving large sums of cash from criminal gangs, then laundering it for a fee.

During a surveillance operation, this man was seen parking at the Coachman Inn, before McGrath arrived, driving a Volkswagon Passat.

McGrath approached the third party’s car, and there was a brief interaction. McGrath returned to his vehicle, retrieved a plastic bag and handed it through driver’s window to the other man.

The gardai stopped the third party’s car, and retrieved the plastic bag which contained €146,950 cash.

McGrath was stopped a short distance later. When his vehicle was searched, gardai found a hidden compartment between the rear seats and the boot, which could be opened using an electronic fob.

Photos of this compartment were handed to the court.

Two phones were also found on McGrath when he was arrested.

17 unused phones were found during a search of McGrath’s home.

The court heard evidence that gardai believe these phones were being used for criminality.

He was interviewed six times following his arrest. In a prepared statement, McGrath said he owed money for an “ounce of green”, and had a dependency on alcohol and cannabis.

McGrath told gardai he was unemployed and receiving social welfare.

He confirmed the vehicle was registered to him and took ownership of the two phones.

He said he wasn’t a members of any organised crime group and didn’t know anything about any of these groups.

McGrath said that the car had been given to him in May 2024 and he didn’t install the hidden compartment.

He said he was there to hand over a bag and accepted full responsibility for his actions.

McGrath said he knew there was money in the bag, telling gardai that he didn’t own it or know whose money it was and refused to give any further details out of fear for his life.

He has 42 previous convictions. Nothing of evidential value was found on one phone and the gardai couldn’t access the second one.

Defence counsel asked the court to take into accounts his client’s age and early guilty pleas.

He said his client was drinking heavily at the time of this offence and as a result, became associated with more sinister individuals.

Counsel said his instructions are that McGrath knew he was going to transport cash, but didn’t know how much.

McGrath had a good work history, but suffered a hearth attack in 2005.

He has three adult children.

Judge Martin Nolan noted gardai were observing another man when they came across the defendant.

He said it was a “considerable amount of money”, which McGrath was helping to launder.

The judge noted that it is not disputed that the money “came from some form of criminality”.

He said McGrath played an “integral part” and the court had to infer it was for some type of reward.

Judge Nolan said money laundering is “very serious”, adding that organised crime groups exist to make money, which is their “most valuable commodity” and McGrath was “helping them to make money”.

The judge noted that McGrath’s long history of offending, and the mitigation including the signed guilty pleas.

He imposed a sentence of four years, backdated to October 4 last when McGrath went into custody.