Cash-strapped student let fraudsters use his bank account to launder €2,500

Florestin Adamou (22) was in financial difficulty when he agreed to take part in the laundering of cash from an invoice redirect scam in return for a “couple of hundred euro”.

Judge Bryan Smyth gave him a six-month suspended sentence.

Adamou, of Remount, Racecourse Commons in Lusk, admitted money laundering and handling stolen property.

Detective Garda David Jennings told Dublin District Court €32,903 was transferred from a victim’s account in an invoice redirect fraud. This ended up in a co-accused’s account, but €2,500 was then transferred into Adamou’s bank account.

Some €1,850 was withdrawn before the bank managed to freeze the remainder.

He “made a choice that was thoroughly wrong” and was ashamed, Mr De Courcy said.

The main person involved and another accused were before another court, Det Gda Jennings said.

He agreed with defence solicitor Matthew De Courcy that the others were “higher up the chain” than Adamou, who was at the lowest end.

The accused had no previous convictions, “was not on the garda radar” and co-operated. He had repaid the money withdrawn from his account in full.

At the time, he was about to start college and was in significant financial difficulty, Mr De Courcy said.

Someone suggested allowing his account to be used to transfer funds, which he would take out. He was to give this to a third party in return for a “couple of hundred euro”.

He “made a choice that was thoroughly wrong” and was ashamed, Mr De Courcy said.

He had studied business and Spanish in college and was now working at an airline. He had his whole life ahead of him and Mr De Courcy asked the judge to consider any alternative to a conviction.

Judge Smyth refused to leave the accused without a conviction and suspended the sentence for a year.