Couple sentenced after drugs, cash and cigarettes seized from Dublin home

By Sonya McLean

A couple who were found with a large quantity of cash, drugs and tobacco in their home have been sentenced for drug dealing and money laundering.

Lukasz Cichocki (43) and Julia Mossakowska (39) of Mount Symon Green, Clonsilla, both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the proceeds of crime, €157,380, at their home on March 3, 2023.

They both pleaded guilty to having cannabis, cannabis resin and MDMA for sale or supply at their home with Cichocki also pleading guilty to the more serious charge under this legislation, known as a 15a drug offence.

This carries a presumptive mandatory penalty of ten years unless a sentencing judge believes that there are exceptional circumstances in the case which would allow the imposition of a lesser sentence.

Cichocki further pleaded guilty to keeping for sale or supply thousands of cigarettes on the same date.

Cichocki was jailed for four and a half years, while Mossakowska was given a three-year suspended sentence for her role in the offending.

Handing down sentence, Judge Orla Crowe said the amount of drugs, the variety of drugs and the amount of cash found in the house was significant.

She said the cigarettes seized were “well beyond the amount that anyone might reasonably consume”.

Taking into account the fact that Cichocki was facing the more serious offence, she set a headline sentence of six years, which she reduced to four and a half years.

She sentenced Mossakowska, who is pregnant with her second child, a three-year sentence which she suspended in full, on a number of conditions.

Garda Shauna Byrne previously told Oisin Clarke BL, prosecuting, that a number of items were discovered in the couple’s home after gardaí secured a warrant to search it.

Two bin liners containing cannabis, 11 pre-rolled cannabis joints, 750 MDMA tablets and a weighing scales were found.

Officers also found two separate quantities of cash totalling €157,380.

There were also 371 boxes of tobacco.

The drugs were seized and analysed and had a total street value of €94,732.

Cichocki was interviewed four times.

He said he had been earning €500 per week as a delivery driver.

He said he had also been breeding dogs and was receiving cash for the sale of the pups.

He claimed he had a €100 per day cannabis habit and while he accepted responsibility for the cash found, he said it was made of his life savings and a cash gift from his family in Poland.

Cichocki said he had been receiving “cash in hand” for work on construction sites and had been saving that money for a considerable period of time.

Mossakowska was interviewed a number of times but Gda Byrne said “nothing of evidential value” came out of those interviews.

Mossakowska has no previous convictions, while Cichocki has one for drink driving.

Gda Byrne accepted that neither Mossakowska nor Cichocki have come to further garda attention since their arrest three years ago.

Garret Baker SC, defending Mossakowska, said his client moved to Ireland 20 years ago and the couple have a one-year-old daughter.

She is pregnant with their second child.

She has a long education and work history.

Mr Baker reminded the court that his client had pleaded guilty to the lesser drug offence.

He said she had started her own consultancy business but had to close it due to Covid.

She then began working as a property manager in a Dublin estate agency having completed a two-year course in business and real estate.

Counsel said his client was “an occasional cannabis smoker” but has not used drug since her arrest.

She has been providing urine analysis and has tested negative for all drugs.

Mr Baker said Mossakowska accepts that she was “highly reckless” being in a house where a large quantity of drugs and cash were found.

She expresses “shame and remorse” for her behaviour and has been assessed as being at a low risk of re-offending.

Garrett McCormack SC, defending Cichocki, said his client was co-operative at the scene and accepted responsibility.

He asked the court to accept that this plea has been of assistance to the garda investigation.

He has a work history and a letter of remorse was handed into court on his behalf along with a number of references.