Man gets suspended sentence for money laundering

By Fiona Ferguson

A young man who gave his bank details in order to repay a debt has avoided a jail term after €29,000 in stolen money was lodged to his account.

The court heard a UK broker had transferred €696,466 to a Cork bank account on foot of a fraudulent email believing they were acting on instructions from a client. It later transpired that an employee’s email account had been hacked.

The bank account of Jabulani Haltshwayo (23) was used to disperse a small portion of this money with €29,945 transferred into it.

Haltshwayo, of Beechfield View, Clonee, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct at a location within the state in June 2017.

Haltshwayo has ten previous convictions and is currently serving a three year sentence for false imprisonment and robbery.

Detective Sergeant Clodagh O’Sullivan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Bank of Ireland reported a suspicious lodgement of €696,466 to an account in Co Cork to gardai. About €250,000 was dispersed by various means from the account.

Det Gda O’Sullivan said that between June 6 and 7, 2017, €29,945 was received into Haltshwayo’s bank account and dispersed out in different transactions.

The court heard the UK broker was ultimately at a loss of €250,000.

The garda agreed with defence counsel Aidan McCarthy Bl, defending, that Haltshwayo had become involved to clear a €500 drug debt, that he did not name the people involved out of fear and was not involved in the organisation of this scheme.

Mr McCarthy said Haltshwayo came to Ireland from South Africa as a child. As a young man he had joined the Leyton Orient academy team but became homesick, ending his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Counsel said Haltshwayo returned to Ireland where he was prey to bad influences and associated with negative peers. He said his client has since worked and can be a productive member of society.

He said Haltshwayo was a young man who made foolish decisions at a time in his life when he was vulnerable to bad suggestions but is now slightly older and wiser.

Mr McCarthy said Haltshwayo wants to serve his time, come out and be a decent father and good man.

Judge Melanie Greally noted Haltshwayo’s early guilty plea and his co-operation in relation to his own role. She took into account he was a young man with a family and was using his current time in custody productively.

She noted his age at the time, that he had not benefited in a meaningful way and was serving a relatively long sentence. She said he seemed resolved to changing his ways.

Judge Greally imposed an 18 months sentence which she suspended in full on strict conditions.