Eimear Dodd
Jonathan McMahon, a 27-year-old from Dublin, has been sentenced for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that drained over €460,000 from the Trinity College hardship fund. The scheme, which included more than 200 individual transactions, was described as highly sophisticated during proceedings at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The court was informed that gardaí are continuing their investigation into the scam, which resulted in the defrauding of €461,275 from the fund. Of this amount, €7,100 was transferred into McMahon’s AIB and Revolut accounts in four separate transactions between October 2020 and February 2021.
While McMahon admitted that the funds were moved into his accounts, he claimed he spent the money, though he was unable to provide an adequate explanation for its destination. Gardaí rejected his account, noting that the funds were quickly transferred from his Revolut account to a third party and withdrawn from his AIB account, suggesting the money was handed off to others.
Despite having no prior criminal record, McMahon’s involvement in the scheme has raised suspicions that he may have acted as a money mule. However, the investigation found no evidence to suggest McMahon was coerced into the activity.
In his defense, McMahon’s lawyer highlighted his troubled upbringing, as well as his current apprenticeship and employment. The court also received a letter from a former employer and an educational report from his school years. The defense further argued that McMahon, who has a mild intellectual disability, was easily influenced by others and was heavily involved in drinking at the time of the offence.
The defense requested that McMahon be granted the Probation Act, asking the court to leave him without a conviction, but Judge Pauline Codd rejected this request. The judge emphasized that given the number of transactions involved and the sophisticated nature of the fraud, McMahon could not be absolved of responsibility. She described him as a “small cog” in the larger fraud operation.
Judge Codd sentenced McMahon to one year in prison, though the sentence was fully suspended, subject to strict conditions. She also ordered him to pay €1,500 in compensation, along with an additional €2,000 to the hardship fund within the next year. McMahon expressed remorse for his actions and acknowledged the consequences of his involvement.
