'Serious player' in East Cork drugs trade jailed for 10 years
Judge Boyle said this was a very successful garda operation and she commended in particular the work of gardaí from Cobh and Midleton in the investigation of a man who was part of a criminal organisation and that the large amount of cash and property seized both in East Cork and in Dublin represented the proceeds of crime.
Addressing the accused man directly, Judge Boyle said: 'You were not simply moving that money around for somebody else, you were the person who had gathered that money through drug-dealing.'
A total of €672,000 in cash wrapped in vacuum packs and duct-tape was found in the boot of his car when he was stopped on Mespil Road in Dublin — money he initially described as being his life savings before pleading guilty to money-laundering in respect of it.
Detective Sergeant Eugene McCarthy said: 'He insisted it was all from cash jobs and 'foxers' he had done over the years and denied any involvement in drugs … The way the money was wrapped and marked bears all the hallmarks of drug-dealing,'
That was on February 20, 2024, within days of being released on bail following his arrest for drug-dealing and money-laundering offences in East Cork.
And he was arrested for a third time — having secured High Court bail in relation to the Dublin charges — soon afterwards on March 20, 2024.
Detective Garda Dylan Murphy said that on this date he was seen driving a Toyota Avensis near Cobh rugby club and on being searched he had €1,400 worth of cocaine in deals concealed in a repurposed spray cannister.
On the first of the three incidents before the court today, two hair-brushes were found in his possession. While there was a lot of hair tangled in the brushes it was discovered on closer inspection that the brushes had been modified to conceal close to €3,000 worth of cocaine in deals.
This first incident on February 2, 2024, was described by Detective Garda James McCarthy. Gerard Hayes had just driven his Audi A4 from a storage shed he was renting for €5,000 per year at Ballydaniel Ballymore in Cobh. A total of €62,800 in cash was found at that premise in Ballymore. All of the cash was in €50 notes. It was found in an office under timber which was under tarpaulin.
An assortment of ammunition — for which he once had a licence, but did not have at the time — was found on that occasion. Some of the ammunition and related materials were found in the attic of the storage premises.
Also following searches carried out at that time at Ballynacorra River, East Ferry, Midleton, he admitted possession of proceeds of criminal conduct in the form of a boat, including contents and engine, with a value of €86,000.
Between the three incidents he was interviewed on 17 separate occasions and disclosed nothing of material assistance to the investigations during any of them.
Ultimately, he made admissions to charges including the possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of large quantities of ammunition and silencers for firearms and the very large amount of cash and property — the proceeds of criminal conduct, which are money-laundering charges.
The most serious charge states that on February 20, 2024, at Mespil Road, Dublin 4 he had the proceeds of criminal conduct, namely cash to the value of €672,000.
As well as the Mespil Road money-laundering charge there was a charge on the same date related to his home in Cobh involving €10,050.
The total value of cash, vehicles, boat and other property that were deemed to be the proceeds of criminal conduct, totalled over €745,000. Judge Helen Boyle made a forfeiture order to the State of all of this. The Audi A6 being paid for in instalments by the accused was not forfeited to the State.
Jane Hyland senior counsel emphasised the value of the pleas of guilty made by the accused in these cases. She said the accused felt shame, not least for the impact that his incarceration would have on his family.
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