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Man Arrested Near Thurles, Charged Under Section 7, Criminal Justice Act.

A man, understood to be aged in his 30s, was arrested on Tuesday evening last (10th December), shortly before 9:00 pm, by Gardaí in the Tipperary Division. The man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering offences and in a follow search, they seized approximately €100,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.

Gardaí stopped the vehicle on the M8, near Thurles town, Co. Tipperary and having searched the vehicle he was driving, located over €27,000 in cash. Electronic items were also seized, together with a small quantity of cocaine.

In a follow-up search of a residence in Tipperary town later that evening, Gardaí seized €70,000 of suspected cocaine and €30,000 of suspected cannabis, together with a significant amount of drug paraphernalia, which was also taken into evidence.

The man was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 and detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co. Tipperary.

The arrested man has since been charged and was due to appear before Nenagh District Court, North Tipperary this morning.

Teenager Facing Murder Of Tipperary Chef Now Released

The Late Shaun Brady (RIP).

A teenager facing charges in the Kansas City murder of Shaun Brady, the Tipperary restaurateur, latter who sadly was fatally shot outside his restaurant in August 2023, has been released without charge by Jackson County Family Court. The teenager had been held in custody since shortly after the fatal shooting of Mr Brady.

On Tuesday last, the release of the teen, who was charged in juvenile court, was confirmed by his defence attorney, Mr Matthew Merryman. The teen had been charged with second-degree murder, attempted theft of a motor vehicle and armed criminal action.
Mr Merryman stated “You know this case generated a ton of local and international attention and when the public outrage is so high. There was a rush to find someone and hold them accountable. Here there was a rush to judgment and the teen was just the first Black kid they found to pin that judgment on.”

A second teen, a 15-year-old remains similarly charged. A December hearing is set to determine whether he will be tried as an adult.

With the investigation still open, Mr Brady’s death came as a shock to his Brookside neighbours and the larger Kansas City community. This shooting is understood to have come about amid a rash of other thefts and break-ins in the area.

Age 44 years, Mr Brady, who was married with two young children, was the co-owner of the Brady & Fox Restaurant and Lounge, 751 E. 63rd Street. and a prominent member of Kansas City’s Irish heritage community. He lost his life on August 28th 2023, two days before he was to be part of the Kansas City Irish Fest, which he took part in on an annual basis.

At Around 5:00pm. on the evening in question, he reportedly attended at the rear of his restaurant to find a group of teenagers attempting to steal his motor vehicle. Following an argument he was shot.
This altercation was caught on security cameras and the two teens were arrested two days later, by Kansas City police.

Kansas City Police Department confirm that Mr Brady’s shooting remains an open investigation.

Government Appoint 8 Members To Legal Services Regulatory Authority.

  • Legal Services Regulatory Authority responsible for the regulation of the legal professions in Ireland

Government has yesterday appointed eight members to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA), including six new appointments and two re-appointments.

The 11-member Authority is responsible for the regulation of the provision of legal services by legal practitioners. The 2015 Act sets out, at section 13(4), the six statutory objectives of the Authority:

  • Protect and promote the public interest.
  • Support the proper and effective administration of justice.
  • Protect and promote the interests of consumers relating to the provision of legal services.
  • Promote competition in the provision of legal services in the State.
  • Encourage an independent, strong and effective legal profession.
  • Promote and maintain adherence to the professional principles of legal practitioners as specified in the Act.

The Government appointed Mr. Tom Boland, who was nominated by the Higher Education Authority, to be the Authority’s new chairperson. He will replace the outgoing Chairperson Dr Don Thornhill, who has held the position since the establishment of the Authority in 2016.

The eight appointees/re-appointees are:

Bríd O’Donovan, nominated by the Citizens Information Board (CIB).
Paul O’Donovan, nominated by the Consumer’s Association of Ireland (CAI).
Tom Boland, nominated by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) – An tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas.
Paul Mc Garry SC, nominated by the Honourable Society of King’s Inns.
Eilis Barry, nominated by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
Emily Sherlock, nominated by the Legal Aid Board (LAB).
Michele O’Boyle SC, nominated by the Law Society of Ireland.
Simon Murphy, nominated by the Law Society of Ireland
.

Ms. Barry and Mr. Murphy are being re-appointed while all other appointments are first time appointments. Under section 10 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, appointments to the Authority will be for a term of 4 years, after which they will be eligible for re-appointment for an additional 4 years, provided that they do not hold office for more than eight years in all.

AIB Urge Customers To Remain Vigilant Against Fraud.

Ms Deborah Kilbride (AIB Financial Crime Prevention team) posts reminder to customers this Christmas.

As we head into the festive season and 2024 draws to a close, we are urging customers to remain vigilant against fraud as it can affect any of us at any time.
Criminal activity continues even during the festive season. We want to alert you to common scams that have been prevalent this year. We all lead busy lives, and it just takes a second to get caught off guard and fall for a scam. Here is some information and ways to avoid being scammed.

  • Text message fraud.

Fraudulent text messages claiming to be from reputable banks, delivery or utility companies and government departments are common. Take a moment and ask yourself does this seem legitimate?
Don’t click the link in the text message or share your personal or financial information.
Often these messages are followed by a phone call claiming to be us, sometimes even using our actual phone number. End the call immediately. We will never call you and request security codes sent by text message, push messages or from your card reader.
We will never send a taxi or courier to collect your physical card, PIN or any security details.

  • Phone call fraud.

Fraudsters often use phone calls to get your personal and financial information for their own financial gain. They may pretend to be from a legitimate company and may even display a genuine phone number. Common tricks used on these calls is to offer to fix an issue with your broadband or offer a refund. They may try to take control of your device. Never download software or apps, that they suggest, onto your computer or mobile phone as this will allow fraudsters access to your information.
End any unexpected calls.
Call the company back on a known and trusted number to verify the call.

  • Investment fraud.

Investment frauds and scams are on the rise, with criminals using social media to advertise highly profitable investments. These ads often use advanced technology to appear legitimate.
Always ask yourself, is this too good to be true? Such high return investments are usually not genuine. Before investing your money take some time to research the provider, verify their existence and that they are regulated and always seek independent financial advice.

  • Purchase scams.

Online shopping is convenient and popular, especially at Christmas time, but criminals can clone genuine websites to offer fake discounts to target unsuspecting customers. This can happen with any site, including clothing, homewares, or heavy goods vehicles such as diggers, campervans and boats. These cloned sites often look and feel genuine.
When shopping online, check for a padlock symbol in the address bar, research the site for negative reviews, and verify contact details. Avoid direct bank transfers. Ask yourself, is this price too good to be true?

  • Money mules

Being a money mule is a criminal offence.
Criminals use others’ accounts to transfer stolen money to conceal their crime. They can trick anyone into using their accounts. Without access to your account, criminals will not be successful.
They may approach you online, in person, on social media or through fake job adverts asking to move money through your accounts or to open a bank account in your name for them. They may even offer you some money as payment.
This use of your account, even if you don’t know where the money has come from or is going to, means you are becoming a money mule. This may result in your bank account being closed or a criminal conviction for money laundering.
Parents should also be aware that teenagers and young adults are often targeted by criminals, with the promise of quick cash so sharing this information with family members can also be helpful.

For more information on the latest frauds and scams visit the security centre on the AIB website.

Twelfth Annual Missing Persons Day To Be Held In Croke Park, Dublin, today.

  • Annual event held to commemorate missing people and their loved ones.
  • Searchable Unidentified Human Remains database launched.

The twelfth annual National Missing Persons Day will take place today, (December 4th 2024), at Croke Park, in Dublin.

On December 4th 2013, Ireland held its inaugural national Missing Persons Day with a commemorative ceremony which took place at Farmleigh House, Dublin. The inaugural ceremony was attended by the families and friends of missing persons, as well as many of the organisations working in the community on their behalf. This ceremony incorporated musical and personal tributes and reflections, followed by a tree planting ceremony in the grounds of Farmleigh House.

Missing Persons Day complements the existing International Missing Children’s Day and has a number of objectives. It commemorates those who have gone missing and recognises the lasting trauma for their families and friends. It also draws attention to open or unsolved missing persons cases, and creates an opportunity to provide information on available support services.

Missing Persons Day, hosted by the Department of Justice, is an annual commemorative day for families and their friends to remember missing loved ones.
Missing Persons Day also provides a nationwide platform to appeal to the public for information on missing persons.

To mark the event a commemorative ceremony will be held, which will feature spoken contributions from family members of missing persons, as well as other contributors who work to resolve missing persons cases.

Missing Persons Day is an all-island event and families from Northern Ireland will also be welcomed along with their support organisations.

This year’s Missing Person’s Day also marks the launch of an enhanced, searchable database of Unidentified Human Remains (UHR) reported to the Department of Justice by Coroners around the country.

Coroners have provided information for Unidentified remains lying within their districts, and the number of cases published has risen from 44 to 48 with 6 cases referring to Co. Tipperary.

The Unidentified Human Remains Forum, comprising officials from the Department, members of An Garda Síochána, Forensic Science Ireland, the State Pathologist, and the Coroner Service, has committed to developing an effective database with the capacity to evolve as new information becomes available.
Anyone with information, which could help provide answers for families regarding any missing person, is encouraged to please contact, any Garda Station (Thurles at Tel: 0504 25100) or call the Garda Confidential Line at Tel: 1800 666 111.