A former Letterkenny student who acted as ‘money mule’ will be sentenced this week.
Zainab Adetanwa Agoro pleaded guilty to a range of offences when she appeared at Letterkenny District Court.
In total, the 23-year-old faced 84 counts over a total of more than €35,000 of criminal cash, but pleaded guilty to sample charges.
Agoro, who allowed housemates permission to access and use AIB, Bank of Ireland and Revolut accounts, was a student living in Letterkenny at the time of the offending in 2022.
Agoro, formerly with an address at Gort na Greine, Letterkenny and now living in Portlaoise, previously pleaded guilty to a charge in relation to an amount of €1,350.
When she was arraigned before Judge Roderick Maguire at Letterkenny Circuit Court, Agoro pleaded guilty to four further charges relating to sums of €350, €1,100, €350 and €1,700.
Agoro pleaded guilty to several charges of possession of property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct, contrary to section 7.1 (a) and (b) and 7.3 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010.
They related to dates in 2022 and covered various sums in different accounts, knowing that it was or being reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Ms Fiona Crawford BL, barrister for the State, said that the guilty pleas were accepted on a full facts basis and the other charges could be taken into consideration by the court.
Some of the payments – 24 in total – in question were Social Welfare payments, each relating to amounts of €350. There was no suggestion that Agoro was the person who requested these payments, the court heard.
Sergeant Maurice Doyle of Letterkenny Garda Station told the court that the matter came to light during the course of another investigation.
A person was arrested and a phone and ATM card were seized. The ATM card, found in a phone cover of the other accused person, was in the name of Agoro.
Detectives from the fraud department at Letterkenny Garda Station commenced an investigation and court orders were made and data requests made in relation to certain accounts.
Gardai found that transactions amounting to €27,925 had come into a bank account and the majority was either transferred out to other accounts or were withdrawn while another bank account showed that €5,820 was paid in and also moved on or withdrawn swiftly.
A data request relating to a Revolut account was made and an amount totalling €1,700 was found to have been transacted to that account.
Agoro was arrested in August 2022 and brought to Letterkenny Garda Station, where she was interviewed on four occasions.
Agoro told investigating detectives that she had given control of her accounts to a house mate and admitted that she was reckless in giving her details.
The court was told that Agoro is an Irish citizen whose parents are originally from Nigeria. Agoro has no previous convictions and has not come to adverse attention since, Sergeant Doyle said.
Sergeant Doyle confirmed that Agoro’s bank card was in the possession of another person and there was no evidence that she benefited from the activity.
Ms Patricia McLaughlin SC, barrister for Agoro with Mr Timothy Morrow BL and instructed by solicitor Mr Patsy Gallagher, asked Sergeant Doyle if it was true that her client ended up living in a house and in contact with people who were “undesirable, effectively” and he said this was correct.
He said a third party was in charge of her accounts at the time and that the money came into and left the accounts quickly.
Ms McLaughlin said that there was effectively a doubling up of charges as there were also theft offences proffered on Agoro.
Ms Mclaughlin said she wanted to acknowledge that money laundering is a serious offence, but there are degrees of someone’s participation and, in this instance, she said Agogo was extremely naive and extremely young. She told the court that Agoro got herself into a situation where she was living with people who she connected with through their Nigerian heritage.
“She naively, foolishly and recklessly allowed her bank accounts to be used,” Ms McLaughlin said.
The court was told that Agorop was studying a pharmaceutical and medical science course in Letterkenny, but dropped out and did not tell her family she had done so.
She was stressed having been told by a landlord that she would have to leave accommodation she was in. She said the people in her new accommodation took alcohol and drugs, but she did not partake in these activities.
Ms McLaughlin said that Agoro “felt uncomfortable and slightly intimidated” by these people. She told Judge Maguire that Agoro’s wages were continued to be paid into one of the accounts in question.
She said these cases were not “an uncommon practice” in Letterkenny where young people are used as money mules.
Agoro was said to be “upset” during an interview with a probation officer when talking about the impact the offending had on her family due to attention on media and social media.
Ms McLaughlin outlined that Agoro lost a job when these matters came to light and said her client is now “in limbo”.
Ms McLaughlin said her client is living with her mother in Portlaoise and is not in employment at the moment.
The barrister said Agoro was “naive and vulnerable” at the time and said she now had aspirations of becoming a mental health nurse or dental nurse.
Although Agoro was reckless, Ms McLaughlin said there was no suggestion that she was aware of the criminal behaviour of the people who were using her account.
Agoro sobbed as Judge Maguire asked how she was doing and she replied: “Okay”.
Judge Maguire will deliver judgement on the matter on July 18.
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