‘Naive’ decision earns Donegal man a money laundering rap

A Donegal man who allowed €5,500 pass through his account and gave his bank card to a stranger  has been charged with money laundering.

Khaelim McSweeney earned just €113 for his part in the endeavour.

The charge relates to a date between February 11, 2021 and February 12, 2021, both dates inclusive.

McSweeney was charged with converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using the €5,500, money credited to a Bank of Ireland account in his name, knowing or believing that the property probably comprises the proceeds of criminal conduct or being reckless as to whether or not property is the proceeds of criminal conduct

The court heard that McSweeney, a 26-year-old with an address at Meadowfield Manor, Manorcunningham, allowed the money to be diverted from another account through his own account.

McSweeney, who has no previous convictions, subsequently allowed another person to use his bank card.

Mr Donough Cleary, solicitor for McSweeney, said his client would have been ‘naive’ to these issues. He was a student at the then Letterkenny Institute of Technology at the time and is now working semi-voluntarily with the autism society, Mr Cleary said.

“What he derived from the project was €113,” Mr Cleary said. “It happened one day. It wasn’t a recurring incident.” 

Mr Cleary said a conviction under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 would follow his client for the rest of his life.

Stressing that he didn’t expect McSweeney to get off scot free, Mr Cleary asked the court to consider asking McSweeney to make a ‘hefty donation’ in lieu of a conviction.

“The punishment is somewhat disproportionate to a naive decision,” Mr Cleary said.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said the matter was a ‘very serious one’.

“The wilfulness is concerning,” Judge Cunningham said.

Noting McSweeney’s guilty plea, Judge Cunningham adjourned the case until February 19, 2024 ‘to allow a significant period to do what he thinks will be appropriate’.