Man jailed for laundering €200k in Dublin shopping center

A man has been sentenced to four years in prison for money laundering after being caught on CCTV in Dublin. Paul Finnegan, 37, was found handing over a rucksack with nearly €200,000 in cash. The incident took place on November 30, 2020, in a shopping centre café in Santry, Dublin. Gardaí were watching the situation when they saw Finnegan place the rucksack at the feet of another man, a Dutch national. After the Dutch man picked up the bag, he was followed and stopped by the police. The rucksack contained €199,900 in neatly packed bundles of €50 and €20 notes. Some of the cash was vacuum sealed. A baseball cap found in the bag had Finnegan's DNA, linking him to the crime. The Dutch national is still wanted by authorities, and there is a European arrest warrant for him. Finnegan pleaded guilty in court, admitting his role as a courier for the illicit cash. He has a history of 18 previous convictions but has claimed to have changed his life around since his arrest. His lawyer mentioned that Finnegan has a partner and a young child, and they are expecting a second baby soon. Despite Finnegan's arguments for leniency, the judge deemed his actions serious and set a six-year sentence. However, he reduced it to four years, considering Finnegan's guilty plea and lack of serious past offenses.