Carlow woman to be sentenced for money laundering

A 23-year-old woman from Carlow has pleaded guilty to money laundering following her involvement in a significant social welfare fraud originating in Letterkenny, Donegal. The accused was approached whilst at college and persuaded to provide her bank account details under the misrepresentation that doing so constituted no criminal offence. Between April 2022, €12,374.64 was deposited into her account across 23 separate transactions, comprising fraudulent illness benefit payments and transfers from overseas accounts. The funds were subsequently moved to accounts in Luxembourg. Carlow Circuit Criminal Court heard she was 19 years old at the time and had no prior convictions. Her legal representatives submitted that she acted naively rather than with criminal intent, noting her vulnerability and poor decision-making. The accused is currently studying and working part-time. Judge Mary Morrissey adjourned sentencing to allow consideration of mitigation documents. The accused remains on continuing bail.