A businessman who was involved in moving over €408,000 in cash for an organised crime group has been handed a four-year prison sentence.
Ion Nostas (42) pleaded guilty to a count of money-laundering at Rosemount Business Park, Blanchardstown on November 22, 2021. He has no previous convictions and has been in custody on this matter since January 2022.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday that Nostas, of Littlepace Drive, Clonee, Dublin 15 had also arranged the involvement of two other individuals in the money laundering.
Judge Martin Nolan said it was his view that this money, which was the product of criminal activity, was “destined for somewhere else, probably abroad”. He said assisting in the movement of criminal cash is a “serious matter” as “organised crime exists to make money”.
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Imposing a four-year sentence, Judge Nolan said Nostas had committed “a grievous error of judgment”.
The investigating garda told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that gardaí received a tip-off about the movement of a large quantity of cash belonging to an organised crime group. During a surveillance operation, gardaí observed two cars, a BMW and a Toyota, parked in a remote part of the Rosemount Business Park.
Gardaí observed Nostas, who was a passenger in the BMW, and another individual, carry two large bags to the Toyota, then cover them with sheets. The two cars left the area and were later stopped by gardaí who recovered €408,820 in cash.
The money was wrapped in elastic bands and had been vacuum-packed. Nostas and the two co-accused were arrested.
Nostas told gardaí that he was the director of two companies. During his fourth interview, Nostas accepted he was involved in the operation.
He told gardaí that he had been approached by an Irish man known as Patrick and asked to move money in exchange for a payment of €1,000.
Nostas arranged for the other two co-accused to get involved. He told gardaí he intended to keep €800 of the €1,000 for himself, pay €200 to a second co-accused, while the third co-accused knew nothing.
Nostas told gardaí he became scared when he realised the amount of cash involved. Gardaí made enquiries to Interpol and identified no convictions for Nostas.
The investigating detective agreed with Brian Gageby BL, defending, that Nostas’s role was limited to moving cash. Nostas accepted his actions were wrong and had apologised to gardaí.
Mr Gageby said his client had made a “huge mistake in his life”. Nostas moved to Ireland in 1999 and is married with three children, two of whom have autism.
He is a hard-working family man and his time in custody has been difficult for his family, counsel said. A number of references and a letter of apology were handed into the court on behalf of Nostas.
Mr Gageby said his client had co-operated with gardaí and made an early plea. As his client had engaged two others in this enterprise, Mr Gageby said Nostas could not be said to be at the very bottom of the ladder. However, it does not appear Nostas had a management or decision-making role within the organisation, he said.
Mr Gageby asked Judge Nolan not to extend Nostas’ prison time significantly. Judge Nolan said Nostas seemed to have many good points, but “unfortunately for him, he committed a grievous error of judgment” by getting involved.
He said the crime is “too serious” for Nostas to avoid additional prison time and the accused had “involved himself in far too serious a way in the relocation of money”.
He set a headline sentence of six to eight years. Taking the significant mitigation into account, Judge Nolan imposed a four-year prison sentence backdated to January 13, 2022.