A young Tralee man has avoided jail despite climbing the ladder of an extensive money laundering operation.
At Tralee Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Ronan Munro said 22-year-old Fortunatus Ankomah was not only a money mule, but had also recruited others into illegal activity, namely money laundering.
He received suspended sentences on four counts, relating to money laundering and participating in activities which helped a criminal organisation to commit crimes.
Mr Ankomah was recruited as a money mule just after his 18th birthday, meaning he then allowed his bank account to be used to launder money.
He was recruited by someone known to him who he trusted, referenced as Mr S, who is not yet before the court.
Mr Ankomah rose up the ladder to become a herder – someone who recruits mules, as a large number of accounts are needed.
He also became a loader – a person who obtains the money from the gang and sends it into a mule’s account – and the court heard this money was from scams or fraud, including from people who had clicked on links and then had money taken.
Judge Munro said Mr Ankomah allowed his account to be used on separate occasions to launder thousands of euro, and he recruited friends of his and his own sister to let their accounts be used.
Mr Ankomah withdrew around €20,000 in cash from his sister’s account and handed it over to someone higher up the chain during a face-to-face meeting, indicating Mr Ankomah’s status and level of trust with the gang.
Judge Munro said this had been the result of a very thorough garda investigation, and up to 50 suspects had been before the courts, many of whom were mules at the lowest rung of the ladder and avoided convictions.
He said an immediate custodial sentence is required for someone who climbs the ladder in an operation like this, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
He noted Mr Ankomah’s immaturity at the time, and that the probation services indicated he had made huge progress in understanding the impact of his crimes, while he’s in employment, volunteers with St Vincent de Paul, and is a talented soccer player.
Judge Munro also noted Mr Ankomah's guilty plea.
Judge Munro handed down suspended sentences for the money mule and money herder counts, and took into account the offence that he helped an organised crime group, noting Mr Ankomah is a person society wants in circulation because of his positive and social actions.
Mr Ankomah also made a voluntary donation of €2,500 to the Brandon House addiction centre.
