A student who hasn’t given “one ounce of thought” to the victim of a €5,000 money laundering scheme has been given a year to repay the money before a judge decides on his sentence.
Judge Anne Watkin said mechanical engineering student Michael Adeleke (23) had made no effort to repay the injured party in the three years since the offence. However, she agreed to give him more time to come up with the money before finalising her sentence.
Adeleke, of Dunloe Drive, Windtown, Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dún Laoghaire District Court to a money laundering offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.
He admitted receiving €4,982 in an online bank transfer on May 18, 2022, knowing it was the proceeds of crime.
The court heard Adeleke was contacted by someone on Snapchat and agreed to set up a bank account and provide the details on the promise of making money.
Defence counsel, Michael O’Brien BL, said his client accepted he had been “stupid” and that he got involved because he was a student and wanted to make some money.
Judge Watkin said she had accepted jurisdiction on the understanding Adeleke had used his own existing bank account, but she had not been aware he had set up a new account specifically to facilitate the offence.
She said the defendnat “knew very well what he was doing”.
Judge Watkin said offences of this nature often involve vulnerable or older people being scammed out of life savings and can be traumatising for victims.
“It’s the same as stealing. He is assisting in the theft of money,” she added.
Judge Watkin said Adeleke had made no effort to repay the injured party in the three years since the offence, showing he was not “truly remorseful”.
When Mr O’Brien asked for time to arrange repayments, Judge Watkin said: “He has had three years to pay the injured party back but he has done absolutely nothing – not one ounce of thought has been given.”
She said she was prepared to give Adeleke one final chance to show genuine remorse and adjourned the case for 12 months to allow him to repay the injured party and “put his best foot forward”.
Judge Watkin warned that if he came to garda attention in the meantime, she would impose a custodial sentence.
She ordered a probation report and a community service suitability report and the case was adjourned to April 26, 2027 for sentencing.