Army corporal jailed for 'laundering' millions of euro of drug dealers' cash

A serving corporal in the Irish Defence Forces was involved in a money laundering operation that handled over €6.6 million worth of drug dealers’ cash, a court has heard.

Richard Kearney, aged 36, of Shancastle Drive, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having €25,000, knowing or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime at an address in Fernwood Lawn, Tallaght on May 6, 2022.

Following a sentencing hearing this Wednesday, Kearney was jailed for three years. 

Garda Vincent Jaffray told Alison Fynes BL prosecuting that a phone seized during the search of Kearney’s rented home at the time was analysed and found to contain communication with known drug dealers.

The garda said the conversations showed amounts of money, locations and dates and suggested that Kearney was responsible for laundering €6.6 million and £250,000 between April 2021 and May 2022.

He said the search also uncovered €10,455 in cash, concealed in a bedframe and a further €15,000 wrapped in clingfilm in a freezer.

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Kearney, who has no previous convictions, admitted during interview that he was the only person who lived in the flat and he confirmed that it was his phone.

Garda Jaffray confirmed that analysis of Kearney’s bank statements showed that he had no legitimate way of making the amount of money which was found in his home. 

The garda agreed with Ciara Ní Ghabhann BL defending that Kearney caused no trouble during interview and answered all questions put to him.

He accepted that he is a corporal with the Irish Defence Forces and will now lose that job.

Ms Ní Ghabhann told Judge Martin Nolan that her client is a father of two children and acts as a parent to his partner’s four children. 

She said he had risen to rank of corporal in the Irish Defence Forces and was involved in the equestrian school with the army. He travelled to the Olympics with an equestrian team where he acted as a groom. 

Ms Ní Ghabhann said her client looked for a transfer in location in the army, which led to a drop in his wages and that he struggled financially as a result. 

She said around Christmas 2020 he was approached and offered what he thought was a “friendly loan” but he found himself “in over his head”.

Counsel said threats started to come in and Kearney had to get involved in the offence as a result.

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Judge Nolan said gardaí had certain beliefs which led them to embark on the search of Kearney’s home adding “their beliefs were justified”.

He acknowledged that Kearney pleaded guilty to possession of the physical cash that was found during the search but said the full facts, as disclosed during the sentence hearing, detailed phone evidence which demonstrated that Kearney was involved in “very substantial money laundering”.

Judge Nolan accepted that Kearney has no criminal record, has family responsibilities, is unlikely to come before the courts again and has “many, many good points”.

He noted the maximum penalty available to the court was 14 years' imprisonment and said given the seriousness of the offence a headline sentence of six years was appropriate. 

Judge Nolan reduced the sentence to three years, having taken into account the various mitigating features of the case.

Following the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, a spokesperson for the Defence Forces said: "The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values.

"Any conviction in a civilian court has implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in military regulations. In this case, as a result of today's decision, the individual's Commanding Officer has initiated the proceedings for discharge, and this process is ongoing."

The spokesperson added: "As there is a right to appeal it would be inappropriate to comment further as to do so may prejudice the appeal process."