A LIMERICK man whose business folded during the economic crash has been jailed for two years for laundering €73,000 and storing €53,000 worth of drugs in what Gardaí described as a “highly sophisticated grow house”.
At Limerick Circuit Court this week, Kenneth Moore (46) of Portcrusha, Montpellier pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and money laundering contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act.
On June 12, 2013, Gardaí searched a property in county Limerick where they found two shed-like containers. One had been converted into a sophisticated grow house and the other had compartments filled with cannabis behind a false wall.
Drugs, cash and a counting machine were found at a stables nearby.
Judge Tom O’Donnell was told that 14 cannabis plants found on the property were valued at €800 each while the harvested cannabis had a street value of €37,000. The cash, which was in two bundles, totalled €73,000.
Describing Kenneth Moore as a “storehouse man for drugs and the cash”, Judge O’Donnell said that people who get involved in this type of offence must be prepared to accept the circumstances of their actions.
As a result of his business failing, he had substantial debts and fell in to difficulty when he was unable to repay money he borrowed from “an unsavoury source”.
He said that the sentencing regime provided for a presumptive mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years, but the court could deviate from that if the circumstances made it unjust to impose such a sentence.
There was a substantial amount of drugs and cash involved but Mr Moore had cooperated and was said to have been “at the lower end of the pyramid”. He also had a substantial debt burden and was under duress.
After imposing a two year prison term on the drugs and money laundering charges, Judge O’Donnell suspended a second two year sentence for a period of six years.
