Student guilty of pandemic fraud escapes conviction
Two payments from the Department of Social Protection were paid into an Ulster Bank account belonging to the defendant.
A student who admitted money laundering after allowing a former friend to use his bank account as part of a pandemic payment scam has been given the benefit of the Probation Act.
Eanna Goodwin, aged 21, of, Gort Fada, Cloonkedagh Road, Kiltimagh, pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court to the offence but claimed he had no idea what his former friend was involved in.
At a previous hearing, the court heard that between February 2 and February 23, 2021, the details of a woman called Sandra Bils were compromised and used in an online application to the Department of Social Protection for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
Ms Bils had never applied for the payment but two payments of €350 were paid into an Ulster Bank account belonging to Goodwin.
The defendant stated he did not know Sandra Bils and had no part in creating the fraudulent online application.
Solicitor Mr Mulchrone said a former friend who Goodwin shared a house with for a period carried out the fraud and he knew Goodwin’s bank details.
The defendant did not give consent for his account to be used but was contacted by the other man on Snapchat when the first sum of money went into his account.
Goodwin agreed to transfer €340 into his friend’s account and he kept €10.
A second similar transaction of €350 occurred two weeks later.
Goodwin, originally from Kilcock, Co Kildare, knew the other man from his time living in Kilcock. He has since cut all ties with him.
Judge Lydon had previously ordered Goodwin to pay €700 to the Department of Social Protection to cover the money lost and last week that money was handed into the court.
Goodwin has no previous convictions.
Mr Mulchrone said his client engaged very positively with the Probation Service who deemed him to be at a low risk of reoffending.
Mr Mulchrone said ironically Goodwin is now studying for a degree in finance and economics at the Atlantic Technological University, Galway.
"It was a foolish decision by a young man who should have known better," he said. "He is aware of the kind of affect a record will have in terms of his future and plans to travel."
Mr Mulchrone appealed to Judge Lydon for leniency.
She noted Goodwin had repaid the department and she decided to impose the Probation Act on condition a €1,000 donation is made to the Irish Cancer Society.
