A corporal in the Irish Defence Forces, Richard Kearney, has been sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in a major money laundering operation. Kearney, 36, from Clondalkin, Dublin, was found guilty of possessing €25,000 that was linked to criminal activity at an address in Tallaght in May 2022.
The court heard that Kearney had been involved in laundering over €6.6 million in illicit funds between April 2021 and May 2022. Garda Vincent Jaffray testified that Kearney’s phone, seized during a search of his rented home, contained communications with known drug dealers detailing money amounts, locations, and dates.
During the search, police also found €10,455 in cash hidden in a bedframe and €15,000 wrapped in clingfilm inside a freezer. Kearney admitted that the phone was his and that he lived alone at the flat. Bank statements revealed no legitimate means by which Kearney could have accumulated such large amounts of cash.
Kearney, a father of two, was described by his defense lawyer, Ciara Ní Ghabhann, as someone who had been struggling financially after a transfer in his army job resulted in a pay cut. According to the defense, Kearney was approached with what he believed to be a “friendly loan” but found himself caught up in criminal activities, eventually receiving threats from those involved.
Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged Kearney’s lack of previous convictions and his family responsibilities but emphasized the seriousness of his crime. He sentenced Kearney to six years in prison, reducing it to three years based on mitigating factors such as his guilty plea and personal circumstances.
Following the conviction, the Irish Defence Forces released a statement condemning Kearney’s actions, confirming that disciplinary proceedings for his discharge from the military have begun.
