An Englishman who was one of three people convicted of involvement in a multi-million dollar counterfeit bank draft scam run from an office in Dublin has lost an appeal against his conviction.
The three-judge Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday dismissed the appeal of Thomas Anthony O'Brien (62), Kent Walk, London. In July 2000, he was found guilty at Dublin Circuit Court of two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one of possession of a document under the Larceny Act.
O'Brien was jailed for five years by the circuit court, where he was refused leave to appeal against conviction and sentence. He appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeal against that refusal.
Yesterday the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Keane, presiding, said the appeal would be dismissed.
The circuit court jury had found that O'Brien had set up a fraudulent finance company called World Wide Clearing and Finance to defraud millions of dollars from German and American businessmen. It was said that World Wide Clearing and Finance, of Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, was connected to a sophisticated fraud ring run from Nigeria. Witnesses from the Companies Office had showed it had been set up using fictitious names and addresses.
O'Brien was convicted of conspiring with others to defraud American businessman Mr Terry Smith of $2,000,000 by offering him a forged $32,000,000 draft. He was also convicted of conspiring with others to defraud German businessman Mr Heinz Althoff by offering him a forged bank draft for $55 million.