Two former solicitors paid homeless people for their PPS numbers and took out loans

OMM 0000

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2020/1027/1174265-courts-solicitors-cork/

WTF, it's like a movie.

The details:

The pair were struck off as solicitors in 2018 for matters completely separate to this garda investigation.

[They] created 60 false identities, donned disguises and paid homeless people for their PPS numbers in order to defraud banks and credit unions of several hundred thousand euro

The pair created 80 fake accounts using 60 false identities

Det Garda McCarthy said the couple had opened 19 fake accounts with Bank of Ireland in Cork and Dublin, 19 fake Credit Union accounts, 19 fake accounts with AIB and three fake accounts with Ulster Bank.

Mental.

Cork Trucker

Makes you proud to be from Cork doesn’t it. Fine Gael actually ran that lady as a candidate in the 2014 local election.

biko

Our times' Bonnie and Clyde.

The Mighty Quinn

"but.. but... I was depressed your honour"

OMM 0000

The Mighty Quinn wrote: »

"but.. but... I was depressed your honour"

That's literally his defence.

But I would have thought being depressed would cause you to not have the motivation to pull off something like this...

blackbox

Anyone know the "separate matter" for which they were struck off?

I presume it's on public record.

Radio5

All striking off decisions are made in public Court hearing AFAIK

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/two-solicitors-who-operated-chaotic-practice-are-struck-off-1.3675993

All transactions are electronic . Just how in all that’s holy, did they think they’d get away with this? It’s not like they rushed back to a rogue country with little or no compatible laws and no interest in entertaining extradition treaties - they were living in Cark of places- with a safe stuffed with close on 100k in cash

I wonder how the whole thing started- so, maybe watching TV some night with a pizza and glass of wine- “Oh darling, what say we defraud banks of 1000s euro by impersonating homeless people and applying for large loans?”
“Oh what a spiffing idea darling, I’ve a few wigs upstairs, let’s start tomorrow”

OMM 0000

Deleted User wrote: »

All transactions are electronic . Just how in all that’s holy, did they think they’d get away with this? It’s not like they rushed back to a rogue country with little or no compatible laws and no interest in entertaining extradition treaties - they were living in Cark of places- with a safe stuffed with close on 100k in cash

I wonder how the whole thing started- so, maybe watching TV some night with a pizza and glass of wine- “Oh darling, what say we defraud banks of 1000s euro by impersonating homeless people and applying for large loans?”
“Oh what a spiffing idea darling, I’ve a few wigs upstairs, let’s start tomorrow”

I'm guessing their plan was something like this:

* Take out the loans using a disguise and fake ID.
* Use ATM cards to withdraw X amount per day, again, while wearing a disguise.

So they were thinking as long as they aren't caught in the act, it can't be proved it's them.

Yet they kept all the evidence in their home...

blackbox

blackbox wrote: »

Anyone know the "separate matter" for which they were struck off?

I presume it's on public record.

It is indeed- more financial shenanigans

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/ex-fg-hopeful-struck-off-as-solicitor-37460344.html


Due to the solicitors' behaviour, there had been claims on the society's compensation fund which resulted in payouts of €231,999 of which some €133,000 had been recovered, leaving a shortfall of almost €99,000.

mariaalice

Motive, means, and opportunity.

But first, they have to have the motive.

cj maxx

Goes to show how easy credit was to get in those years. But they saved the state money by pleading guilty and avoiding trial ?

Allinall

Fair play to them supporting the homeless.

Admirable.

shows the house of cards that banking and law are, to an extent

Rasputin11

Will they serve any prison time?

skooterblue2

Rasputin11 wrote: »

Will they serve any prison time?

Feck no, not in this country. They will reinvent themselves as something else like Citizenship by Investment or start up a Charity and their political pals will cover for them.

Truthvader

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Feck no, not in this country. They will reinvent themselves as something else like Citizenship by Investment or start up a Charity and their political pals will cover for them.

Always a big welcome on RTE for "larger than life" characters

dhaughton99

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Makes you proud to be from Cork doesn’t it. Fine Gael actually ran that lady as a candidate in the 2014 local election.

They have a type, dont they?

skooterblue2

dhaughton99 wrote: »

They have a type, dont they?

Makes Maria Bailey look like a solid choice in a certain light. I wonder how many more they have in the bag? Like she only wanted to sue the Hotel insurance policy. This pair were recruiting vulnerable homeless people and stealing over 100 identities and they werent even struck off for that!!!!! What was the reason they were struck off for?

I think Maria Bailey is starting to look like a strong candidate for president next time around.

Rows Grower

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Feck no, not in this country. They will reinvent themselves as something else like Citizenship by Investment or start up a Charity and their political pals will cover for them.

They're going down I'd say.

Off to the big house with the pair of them, that sissor's sister one will be delighted to do your one's hair and make up for her.

OMM 0000

dhaughton99 wrote: »

They have a type, dont they?

Not defending FG, but aren't all politicians chancers trying to enrich themselves?

skooterblue2

Rows Grower wrote: »

They're going down I'd say.

Off to the big house with the pair of them, that sissor's sister one will be delighted to do your one's hair and make up for her.

What can you actually do with a Law degree once you have been struck off as a solicitor? I am not a lawyer, have no friends in law or anything like that. I mean you cant appear in court, can you do legal advice afterwards? Will all their past workings have to be audited?

seamus

Classy pair.

They were suspended in late 2016 and started conducting this fraud in early 2017.

They were finally struck off in 2018. At that hearing, his plea against being struck off was that he had an "ill wife".

Two years later they pop up in court again, married.

Sounds like they'd been bumping uglies for years, probably dipping hands and in out of client monies to fund personal sorties and other various excursions while he had a sick wife at home minding his kids.

Since they were only suspended rather than struck off, they were probably signing various documents as witnesses for eachother, allowing them to obtain all sorts of documents.

McMurphy

https://twitter.com/FCTwenteBenson/status/1321239556230959104?s=19

Rows Grower

skooterblue2 wrote: »

What can you actually do with a Law degree once you have been struck off as a solicitor? I am not a lawyer, have no friends in law or anything like that. I mean you cant appear in court, can you do legal advice afterwards? Will all their past workings have to be audited?

You don't have to be a lawyer to represent someone in a court of law, I have no idea what these two plan to do.

No doubt they will be well sought out in the big house for anyone looking for advice on how best to appeal their sentence.

donegal_man

Flynn was remanded in custody until Friday for sentencing, whilst Clarke was given bail until then in order to make arrangements for her children.

The reportage would certainly suggest they're both looking at a custodial sentence. Given that they are not violent and pleaded guilty it's unlikely they'll receive particularly harsh sentences and may even have at least some of it suspended. But then again, the judge may take a rather dim view of them bringing the integrity of the legal profession into disrepute so might do a Madoff and send them down for ninety-nine years each.

Rows Grower wrote: »

...I have no idea what these two plan to do...

From the new story he apparently intends to carry on "cooking".

The court heard Flynn was working as a chef, while Clarke was on a back-to-work scheme.

jimmycrackcorm

McMurphy wrote: »

https://twitter.com/FCTwenteBenson/status/1321239556230959104?s=19

Well, we generally expect SF candidates to have some sort of criminal background such as bomb-making or gun-running.

McMurphy

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Well, we generally expect SF candidates to have some sort of criminal background such as bomb-making or gun-running.

Fg tend to go more for the insurance scammers, the tax dodging, and the broken glass attacks in the pubs.

Don't piss down my neck and try telling me it's raining Jim.

jay0109

Alice Fawsitt, SC, representing Ms Clarke said her client and Mr Flynn had voluntarily handed over the keys for the safe. She stressed whilst they had robbed from banks they saved the state an enormous amount of money by entering a guilty plea and avoiding a trial. She told Judge Sean O’Donnabhain that her client had a history of depression.

She said that at no time had Ms Clarke attempted to blame her husband but instead insisted she was an equal participant in the scheme.

Ms Clarke she said lost her father in her twenties and her mother has also died. Ms Fawsitt said Clarke was an only child without family support other than an Aunt

Ticking all the boxes and look Judge, she's not playing the damsel in distress and blaming the man for all her problems like so many others that appear before you do.That's how honest she is now!

OMM 0000

McMurphy wrote: »

https://twitter.com/FCTwenteBenson/status/1321239556230959104?s=19

True, the headline would have been something like "Former Sinn Fein candidate convicted of multiple counts of bank fraud".

screamer

Feel sorry for their little baby. She doesn’t seem to have any immediate family to help her, and he’s estranged from his family from what I read this morning.
There’s probably a movie in this down the line....