Three women avoid jail for money laundering on behalf of major crime gang
The two accused, along with a third woman, were charged with providing bank accounts to allow the Boylan organised crime group, which is heavily involved in the drugs trade, to launder the proceeds of their operations.
At a sentencing hearing last month, Keith Boylan was named for the first time by gardaí as the leader of the Drogheda-based gang, while his brother Josh (26) was named as the second in command.
The Boylan gang formed one side of a violent feud between criminal gangs for the control of the drugs trade in the Co Louth town.
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A number of people were shot during the feud, which began in 2018. Four people were killed including 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods.
Gardaí began investigating the finances of the Boylan gang in late 2022 and uncovered a large number of accounts in various banks.
One of those accounts was in the name of Jade Heeney (27), from the Hill of Rath in Drogheda.
On Wednesday, Drogheda Circuit Criminal Court heard Heeney was previously in a relation with Keith Boylan. The court heard she was told to open a Revolut account in her name and to hand it over to the gang. A 'prominent member' of the Boylan gang lodged about €13,000 in the account, much of which was later withdrawn.
Judge Dara Hayes noted she felt 'under immense pressure' to comply with the gang. She was in a relationship with Boylan between the ages of 16 and 20.
Judge Hayes described this relationship as 'toxic' and noted it ended two years before the offending occurred. Annie Smith (28), of The Alders, Avourwen, in Drogheda, was in a relationship with Josh Boylan, the gang's second in command.
Just under €9,000 was lodged into an account in her name, of which about €5,000 was later withdrawn.
Judge Hayes noted evidence of 'elements of coercion' in the relationship between Smith and Boylan. He said there was evidence Smith was seriously assaulted by Boylan in 2019 and that she later required surgery.
The woman was left with physical and mental scars from the relationship, which is now over, he said.
A third woman, Marlena Aleksandrowicz (29), from Bridgefield, Northwood, Santry, Dublin, became involved in money laundering through her friendship with a woman who was a partner of one of the gang's leaders. She told gardaí she was asked by this woman to do her a favour and she felt she could not say no.
The gang lodged money into her account, of which about €14,000 was later withdrawn. Judge Hayes noted evidence that Aleksandrowicz is a pregnant single mother of one who was 'out of her depth' at the time.
All three women pleaded guilty to money laundering offences between 2020 and 2021. The judge noted testimony from gardaí that the women were operating 'at the lower rung'.
However, he said, they were charged with serious offences involving the facilitating of a criminal organisation. These were not 'naive young women', he added.
He imposed sentences of 2½ years on each of the three women but suspended these in full for the same period.
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