Judge orders man to forfeit €81,000 in cash
The defendant appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A man found with more than 45,000 unstamped cigarettes has received a suspended prison sentence and must forfeit over €80,000 in cash.
Olegs Leontjevs, aged 56, of Corr na gClogh, Ballinrobe, previously pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the unstamped cigarettes.
The court heard the Russian had been selling illegal cigarettes in the Ballinrobe area. Customs and Excise officers received a tip-off about Leontjevs’ activity and he was put under surveillance. On October 31, 2019, a search was carried out at his home and a total of 45,760 cigarettes were found which equated to 200 cartons.
What is believed to be a ‘float’ containing €141 was found in a drawer in the sitting room and more than €80,000 was discovered in two bedrooms. However, it was claimed that this money was part of a €380,000 workplace injury compensation payout that the accused received in 2011. Leontjevs also said he didn’t trust the banks.
When asked by Customs officers why he had so many cigarettes, Leontjevs said it was because he and his wife smoked a lot. He said he had bought the cigarettes online but was unable to say via which website. While being interviewed, someone arrived at the door of the house seeking to buy cigarettes.
Leontjevs has no previous convictions.
Sentencing was adjourned until last week with Leontjevs also contesting an application to seize the €81,000 in cash found in his home.
Giving evidence through a translator, Leontjevs maintained the money was part of his compensation payout. He said he had made withdrawals to buy a home for his daughter, but this purchase did not proceed.
The defendant also claimed a money counter found in the house was a "charming" internet purchase used to tot up his compensation cash.
Judge Eoin Garavan dismissed Leontjevs' assertions and said he felt like he was judging book awards as the defendant's evidence was "a wonderful work of fiction".
Brendan McDonagh BL, representing the accused, said it would be "punitive" to seize cash that his client claimed came from a compensation payout as the defendant was never charged with selling the cigarettes.
However, Judge Garavan said the claims by Leontjevs were of "zero quality". He ordered the cash to be forfeited to the State.
During the sentencing hearing, Mr McDonagh said the accused was a family man and a grandfather who has no previous convictions in any country.
Judge Garavan said Leontjevs had displayed "a complete lack of honesty" and imposed an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
