Man who turned over €500,000 in online bets committed money mule offence after getting into debt

A FORMER pupil of a Limerick fee-paying secondary school turned over an estimated €500,000 in online bets arising for his “chronic gambling addiction”, a court has heard.

At Killaloe District Court, sitting in Ennis, solicitor Daragh Hassett, for Marcus Ryan (22), told the court that the background to his client’s ‘money mule’ offence was based in his getting into debt arising from his “severe gambling addiction”.

Mr Hassett said that Mr Ryan “was gambling large sums”.

“He estimates he turned over €500,000 in bets. At one stage, he was up €20,000, then down €20,000”, Mr Hassett told the court.

The solicitor added that Mr Ryan’s “smartphone was turning over those figures. He was gambling on everything.”

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Mr Hassett said that Mr Ryan owed money due to his “chronic gambling addiction” and “took the bait” when he received an anonymous Snapchat message which led to him allowing another individual use his bank account.

In the case, Mr Ryan, of Lakelands, Cullenagh, Ballina, County Tipperary, has pleaded guilty that on February 23, 2022, at AIB Bank, Royal Parade, Killaloe, he did engage in possessing property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct, in the form of €10,000 placed into an AIB bank account in his own name, while being reckless as to whether or not the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

The charge is contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

Sergeant John Jenks told the court that Mr Ryan provided his bank card and PIN number to an unknown male to allow the man transfer money into his account and it was then withdrawn in denominations in Dublin.

Sgt Jenks said that “the person involved has not been identified. He was observed on CCTV but was highly disguised.”

The sergeant told the court that Mr Ryan met him by appointment in January 2023 at Killaloe Garda Station where “he made full admissions in relation to the bank account”.

Sgt Jenks continued that Mr Ryan “comes from a good family and when he was approached he put his hands up and he was very cooperative”.

He said that Mr Ryan “benefited to the tune of €900” and has no previous convictions.

Judge Alec Gabbett said that “these cases always terrify me – just look at the title of the Act, the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act”.

Mr Hassett agreed that it was “a frightening case”.

“Mr Ryan went to a very good school and had a great start in life. His parents sent him to Villiers secondary school in Limerick. He has struggled with ADHD and wouldn’t be unique there,” Mr Hassett told the court.

Mr Hassett said that Mr Ryan found an outlet in sports and played inter-provincial hockey for Munster, adding that he “has put a lot of work in his recovery” and has not placed a bet in the last 13 months.

Mr Hassett told Judge Gabbett that Mr Ryan has an app on his phone that acts as a blocker to prevent him downloading online gambling content.

Judge Gabbett said that a gambling addiction “is the most difficult of all the addictions – it is a hidden one. If you are an alcoholic or a drug addict, inevitably it will show on the outside and eventually you will fall over.”

Mr Hassett said that Mr Ryan “is a very bright young man. He is disgusted and embarrassed to be here”.

He told the court that Mr Ryan has €1,000 in court by way of restitution adding that his client is working “as a landscape gardener for a family member” and that he is “committed to staying away from gambling”.

Mr Hassett said that his client doesn’t know where the money was laundered from or from whom.

Judge Gabbett said that he wanted Mr Ryan to maintain the progress in his recovery and adjourned the case to March for an updated probation report.

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