The trial of a man accused of conning €177,000 from seven Co Donegal people has been told US associate claimed to the FBI that he was threatened with IRA action.
Donegal Circuit Court has been told that 50-year-old Thomas Elvin - described as bible-believing and a Church of Ireland member - was linked to Florida-based finance operator Larry Marsella.
The jury has been told that 51-year-old mr Marsella was connected to a firm called Loan Doctors and worked for Pear Shaped Resources.
Pear Shaped Resources was a British Virgin Islands-based company, which the prosecution claims was run by Mr Elvin, who lives at Meencargagh, Ballybofey.
The final prosecution witness, Sergeant Gerry Mullaney, said Mr Marsella was interviewed by FBI special agent Christopher Penn.
Mr Marsella told Mr Penn of email and phone communications over dealings with Mr Elvin.
At one stage in 2005, Mr Elvin demanded money back and threatened him to use contacts within the IRA.
Mr Marsella severed all his contacts with Mr Elvin following communication about laundering IRA money.
Defence counsel Desmond Murphy, SC, asked Sgt Mullaney if he made any investigations into the allegations that Mr Elvin was linked to money-laundering and IRA connections.
Sgt Mullaney told the court that Mr Elvin emailed Mr Marsella and mentioned there were men who put him under pressure to get their money back and they would have to bring it to the IRA.
Sgt Mullaney said gardaí had no evidence that the men, who were only called Seamus and Mr X in court, were linked to the IRA and there was no evidence that Mr Elvin was linked to it either.
Mr Elvin, described as a small farmer, denies 26 counts of operating as an illegal investor on a variety of dates between 2003 and 2005 and of deceiving people of their cash, including life savings.
He is alleged to have committed the offences at a number of locations in Donegal town, Ballybofey and Cloghan, Co Donegal.
