A 37-year-old man with no legitimate income who was involved in the Limerick gang feuds and spent €100,000 renovating his home in Limerick has been jailed for two years and eight months at the Special Criminal Court.
Richard Treacy pleaded guilty to money laundering after allowing the proceeds of crime to be used for work on the house in Downey Street, Garryowen, that he shared with his partner.
The house was registered in the name of his mother, but Treacy lives there with his partner and children.
Ms Justice Karen O'Connor said the crime involved a "significant amount of money" and that money laundering was not "a victimless crime" but helps other crimes occur.
Gardaí searched the house on 17 June 2020 and found €4,000 in a sock drawer in the bedroom, €500 and €600 in cash in a kitchen cupboard and Stg £3,900.
Treacy said his mother gave him the €4,000 for an extension but gave no explanation for the sterling. He said he was saving the €600 and that the €500 was his dole the previous day.
He was on social welfare, there was no record of him having ever worked and there was no explanation for the money used in the renovations, which were described as "grandiose".
Treacy has ten previous convictions for violent disorder, threatening and abusive behaviour, dangerous driving and manslaughter.
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The court was that the violent disorder related to a feud with another family in the city and that the killing was also a feud related incident and the deceased was a relation of a high-end criminal in the city.
Treacy is also a nephew of Limerick gang leader and drug dealer Kieran Keane, but he has been "nine years trouble free" and is the father of two young children who are "a positive influence in his life."
Defence counsel Lorcan Connolly said he is "very involved in their activities on a daily basis" and that the arrival of the children in his life "tallies with his last offending date."
Ms Justice O'Connor said the €100,000 was laundered over seven years and that Treacy was not of "previous good character" and had received three other custodial sentences during that period - 1 January 2014 to 21 January 2021.
She also said that this type of offending is "inherent for criminality to function and thrive and has a knock on effect on the community and the resources of the State."
The court accepted that he had co-operated in part with the investigation and had answered some questions, that Treacy was in a long-term relationship, played an active role in parenting his children and was involved in pro-social activities such as sport.
She also accepted that he helped his father who was in 70s with his business and that he depends on him
However, the judge said the offence demanded a custodial sentence and jailed him for two years and eight months
The court also ruled that Stg £3,900 and €4,000 found during garda searches was a significant amount of money, which should be forfeited to the State
