Latest news with #McGreal
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Bilingual barrister comes to aid of 'nervous' translator in Special Criminal Court
A bilingual barrister came to the rescue at the Special Criminal Court today when a "nervous" interpreter on his first day struggled to translate for a group of Spanish men charged with drug offences. The three-judge court was expecting to be updated on whether a group of six men would require trial dates for allegedly conspiring to import a large quantity of drugs into Ireland. As prosecution counsel Tessa White began to speak, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding, became concerned that the Spanish interpreter was not translating what was being said. The judge turned to Cathal McGreal, defending, saying: "You have good Spanish, are you satisfied that what is being translated is accurate?" "No," Mr McGreal replied. The court gave the parties time to tell their clients what was happening. When the court resumed, Mr McGreal explained that the interpreter has worked previously in hospitals but never in a court setting. "The interpreter is perfectly capable but he got very nervous and was worried if he could continue," Mr McGreal said. He said the interpreter would be able to translate the rest of the day's business which required nothing more than setting dates for a next appearance. Juan Antonio Gallardo Barroso, aged 56, of no fixed address in Spain, is one of 10 men charged following the massive seizure of drugs in 2024. Picture Larry Cummins Ms Justice O'Connor heard that two of the accused, Ali Ghasemi Mazidi, aged 50, with an address in the Netherlands, and Raul Tabares Garcia, aged 48, of Cadiz in Spain, will require trial dates. Ms White said the trial is likely to take four to six weeks. Ms Justice O'Connor adjourned the matter to July 21, when she will set a trial date. Co-defendants Sean Curran, aged 37, with an address at Carrickyheenan, Aughnacloy, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Juan Antonio Gallardo Barroso, aged 56, of no fixed address in Spain, Pedro Pablo Ojeda Ortega, aged 36, of Cadiz, and Angel Serran Padilla, aged 40, of Malaga will have their cases mentioned again on July 7. In total, 10 men from Ireland, Spain, Serbia, and the Netherlands are charged with conspiring with one another to do an act in the State that constitutes a serious offence, namely the importation of controlled drugs in excess of €13,000 on dates between February 27 and March 14, 2024, both dates inclusive. The alleged offence is contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. Gardaí arrested the ten men in March last year during operations in the villages of Tragumna and Leap near Skibbereen in west Cork, where a jeep, camper van, articulated truck, and rigid inflatable boat were seized as part of the suspected drug smuggling operation.
CBS News
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Numerous victims say they lost everything in timeshare purchasing scam with phony business address
Timeshares can go from creating happy memories to causing big headaches — especially if an owner wants out. That is where scammers come in — promising owners they can sell the timeshares at a profit, but pocketing all the cash. In August 2022, CBS News Chicago reported on an elaborate Chicago-focused scam in which a man lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since then, dozens more have come forward saying the same happened to them. One victim or another told the same story. They were out hundreds of thousands of dollars too. "At the end, I paid $206,000 for nothing," one victim said. The victims' life savings, homes, and pensions were all gone — given to people claiming to work for a firm called Intercontinental Realty, which called the victims with a promise to sell their timeshares in Mexico for a profit. "The scam is the same," said private investigator Joe McGreal. "So they'll offer a large amount of money — a $1 million profit, a $2 million profit — just to hook them and reel them in. Once they're reeled in, they start charging them fees." McGreal has been tracking the scam for three years. He began investigating after the victim whom CBS News Chicago talked with for the 2022 story hired him to get his $300,000 back from the same company. "Greed drove this thing," the man who lost that money said at the time. "The little voice in the back of my head kept saying, 'There's something not right here.'" On its website, Intercontinental Realty listed its address as the 12th floor of 7 W. Madison St. in the Loop. But both McGreal and CBS News Chicago quickly learned no such company existed in that building — or ever had. CBS News Chicago then called the company's number dozens of times. No one returned the calls. Then, after CBS News Chicago's original story aired in 2022, McGreal got calls from a dozen other victims — including one couple who did not want to be identified. "I found your broadcast, and that's when I walked in, and I said, 'Look, you need to look at this,'" the husband of the couple said. His wife almost lost everything. "I filed wit with the FBI in September 2021, for the IC3. As a matter of fact, I did it twice," the wife said, "and I haven't heard a word." Another man, who also wanted his identity protected, lost everything too. "I wish I could get my money back," he said. "I mean, I don't want t hem to screw anybody else over, but give me my money back." McGreal said the overall losses from the scam have been staggering. "The dozen clients that I represent, there's everywhere from $500,000 loss to $1.3 million," said McGreal. "The total is over $4 million — $4.3 million, give or take." McGreal also called the FBI, offering practically to hand the agents his case file. "The agencies involved with enforcing these laws are not doing anything about it," said McGreal. The FBI was one example of such an agency, he said. "The FBI was contacted by half a dozen clients in half a dozen states. They were informed to file a complaint on their website. They did that," McGreal said. "Haven't heard back in two years." Since CBS News Chicago's original story, the Intercontinental Realty website was taken down. Attorney Jennifer Hardy, who handles timeshare-related cases, is not surprised by the success of the scam. "These scams are fluid," she said. "They're contacting thousands of potential victims." McGreal said all his evidence leads to scammers in Mexico, and he is still determined to shut them down. When asked realistically whether he could get the victims of the scam any of their money back, McGreal said he thought he could. "I'm not going to stop until I do," he said. An FBI spokesperson said the agency cannot confirm any ongoing investigation, but did say timeshare scams like these are on the rise. According to the FBI, the proceeds of many of the scams go straight to help fund Mexican cartels.
