Security guard jailed for role in €49,000 romance scam

Niamh O’Donoghue

A security guard who allowed his bank accounts to be used as part of a scheme to defraud a man out of €49,000 in a romance scam has been jailed for one year.

Edward Evbagharu (46) of Shackleton Exchange, Shackleton Drive, Lucan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to money laundering on dates between February 12th, 2021, and June 9th, 2021. He has 11 previous convictions.

Detective Garda Barry Brennan of Store Street Garda Station told the court that the injured party, a French national, met a woman on an online dating site, who said she was from Saudi Arabia but was a refugee in Texas in the United States.

She told him that her father was wealthy but because of her asylum status she could not access €5 million she had in an Irish bank account.

Believing her to be genuine, the injured party agreed to liaise with the woman’s lawyers who asked him to make a number of payments over six months.

The court heard the total amount taken was €49,188, none of which was recovered. The court also heard that €31,000 of that was paid through three of Evbagharu’s accounts with An Post, Ria Money Transfer, and TransferWise but these were controlled by two co-accused.

The injured party became suspicious and spoke to a solicitor in France to say he thought he was the victim of an online fraud. He then reported it to the gardaí.

The injured party, who was in court, prepared a victim impact statement, which was handed in to the judge but not read aloud.

Pat O’Sullivan defending said it was “quite an elaborate scam”. “I didn’t think it would be possible for anyone to fall for it, but they did,” said O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan said his client is working for a security company for the past 16 years and paying income tax and social security.

“He is a contributing member of society” and “wants to continue his work”, he said. He said his client was very anxious and would like to do community service.

He said his client, who is from Nigeria, moved here in 2009 and became an Irish citizen in 2013. He has four children from his marriage and another two children from his relationship of nine years.

Counsel said his client was adamant he had not made any financial gain and the only reason he got involved was because a gentleman he knew said he did not have a bank account.

Det Gda Brennan did not agree and said Evbagharu failed to come back to gardaí with documentation to corroborate that story. Evbagharu accepts that his accounts were used but it was “reckless”.

Judge Dara Hayes handed down a two-year sentence and suspended the final year of it. The judge said there was no evidence Evbagharu defrauded the injured party but he was facilitating.

He noted Evbagharu has 11 previous convictions including one for handling stolen property and 10 for road traffic offences. The judge noted Evbagharu was not on bail at the time of this offence and accepted he was civil with gardai.

The judge noted a substantial amount was transferred through his account.

He noted the victim impact report, which explained consequent health issues, both mental and physical, and that he now relies on state support in France.

The judge also noted the victim suffered deep anxiety and depression, is under the care of a psychiatrist in France since May 2023 and is medicated in respect of his psychiatric issues. The injured party also suffers from cardiac problems.

The judge noted the victim said his life is “turned upside-down” and he “is a shadow of a man he used to be” but is hoping to rebuild his life.

The judge said he accepted Evbagharu had not committed a fraud but was facilitating the use of the money.

He said the aggravating factors were the sophisticated duration and that it was paid in over a number of months.

He noted his early plea and had not come to attention of gardai before or since. He also noted his good work history and personal circumstances.