Criminal Assets Bureau seizes Cork property at centre of ‘sinister’ romance fraud

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has taken possession of a property in Co Cork that was purchased via the proceeds of a “sinister” romance fraud.

The property at 1 Coast Guard Cottages, Strand Street, Youghal, was confiscated by CAB on Thursday.

The confiscation arose as a result of a successful application before the High Court, during the course of which Thomas Humphreys of Ballyspillane, Killarney, Co Kerry, was named as respondent.

The bureau commenced an investigation in 2022 following a referral from gardaí in Killarney into the serious romance fraud and money laundering offences of a Kerry-based organised crime group.

CAB said a subsequent investigation identified the property in Youghal, acquired in July 2015, as being the proceeds of this criminal conduct.

“Following a successful application brought by the Criminal Assets Bureau, the property was determined by the High Court to be the proceeds of crime, and the Criminal Assets Bureau took possession of the property.”

Meanwhile, in a judgment in January of this year, Judge Liam Kennedy found that, on the balance of probabilities, Humphreys used the proceeds of the romance fraud carried out by his brother-in-law Patrick O’Brien to purchase the property in Youghal.

CAB had sought an order – under section 3 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 – declaring that the house was purchased using the proceeds of crime. The judge granted the relief sought by the bureau.

The judge cited as relevant to the ruling Humphreys’ conviction in absentia by an Australian court of a separate fraud against an elderly woman worth AUD$100,500 (€58,000).

CAB submitted evidence to the court that Humphreys and various members of his extended family have been involved in organised crime both in Ireland and Australia.

The 37-year-old, with an address in Mallow, Co Cork, is now understood to be living in the UK. It is understood the romance fraud occurred between 2012 and 2015 and involved conning a vulnerable woman out of €260,000.

The judge said he was satisfied that the majority of payments towards the purchase of the property “came from unknown sources or actually represented the proceeds of crime”.