By Ronan Judge

A man who said he was drunk when he provided his bank account details so they could be used as part of a phishing scam has been fined €1,000.

Simone Codonesu (31) with an address at 13 Lisroe, Oranmore, pleaded guilty that on August 11, 2023, at an unknown location in the State, he engaged in converting / transferring / acquiring / possessing property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct, to wit, €400 credited to his Revolut bank account.

The offence is contrary to section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act.

The court head Gardaí received a report that a Donegal woman was the victim of a phishing messaging scam that resulted in €400 being taken from her bank account and credited to the accused’s Revolut account.

The woman was refunded by her bank.

Codonesu has a conviction for a drink driving offence and was not on bail at the time of the money-laundering offence.

Defence solicitor, Brian Gilmartin, told the court his client maintained he was drunk when he provided to another person, access to his phone and Revolut account.

He said this was accepted by the State and his client could not recall the person he provided his bank details to.

Mr Gilmartin said his client, who was originally from Italy, was drinking to excess at the time and was to receive €50 for his role in the scam.

Mr Gilmartin asked the court to take into account his client’s guilty plea and that the offence occurred two years ago.

Judge John King told Codonesu he was a “very tiny cog in a very big machine and the machine cannot work without the tiny cogs.”

Imposing a €1,000 fine, Judge King said the message must go out that his type of offending was “entirely unacceptable.”

“The fact it was done in a drunken state is no excuse”, he added.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.