REGINA FELLONI, the 20-year-old daughter of jailed drug dealer Tony Felloni, has £113,500 in bank and post office accounts, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been told.
The court was also told that Felloni, her brother, Luigi, and their father may make a legal challenge to the legislation under which funds and assets allegedly gained by drug dealing may be confiscated by the courts.
Det Sgt John O'Driscoll said Regina Felloni also claimed part-ownership of a house bought for £46,000 in cash and renovated extensively with cash. She also owned a £6,000 car when arrested.
He said the £113,500 cash was in one post office and three bank accounts. Two of the bank accounts with sums of £24,368 and £18,511 had been opened on July 11th, 1994, and April 10th, 1995, respectively.
A bank account with £68,996 had been opened in her name when she was an infant, but the major transactions did not occur until substantial lodgments were made in 1993 and 1994. There was also a post office account with £1,630. The High Court has frozen these accounts.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said his investigations into Felloni family assets were continuing. He was seeking further details about the house Regina Felloni said she part-owned with her grandfather at Mellowes Road, Finglas.
Felloni is in custody for sentence on drug-trafficking charges. She pleaded guilty in July to possessing £30,000 worth of heroin for supply in a rented flat at Drumcondra on April 2nd, 1996. Gardai also discovered £1,000 in the flat.
Mr Garnet Orange, defending, told Judge Cyril Kelly that instructions had been given by Felloni family members to seek payment from the frozen funds for a challenge to the power to confiscate assets under the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.
The matter had been raised by prosecuting counsel, Mr Shane Murphy, who asked for confirmation that a signature on a document giving these instructions was that of Regina Felloni.
She had originally been in custody to February 18th, 1997, for sentence, but Mr Orange said he had instructions for sentence to be proceeded with now. She had had a positive and a negative drug urine analysis test since going into custody last April. Her last test was clear of drugs.
Judge Kelly asked how someone in custody could test positive for opiates. He said he wanted to see the result of the clear test and remanded her in continuing custody for sentence today.
The court is to hear an application on February 18th in relation to more than £8,000 in punts and sterling and 211,000 pesetas in cash arid travellers' cheques found in Luigi Felloni's home at Dominick Street, Dublin, during Garda searches.
Luigi Felloni is serving a total' sentence of six years for importing £25,000 worth of heroin for supply at Dublin Airport on May 22nd, 1996. He also admitted charges of having smaller amounts of heroin for supply at his Dominick Street flat on June 22nd, 1995, and January 11th, 1996.
His father is serving a total sentence of 20 years imposed by Judge Kelly on charges relating to drug dealing in 1994 and 1995.
Garda Seamus Boland told the court last July that Regina Felloni was arrested during "Operation Pizza", the codename for a campaign organised by the Dublin North Central Divisional Drugs Unit to target the Felloni family's drugs cartel.
He said Regina Felloni was officially unemployed but had a large amount in a bank account. At the time of her arrest, she also drove a £6,000 Nissan 1994 car. She became involved in drugs after her father's release from prison in 1993. Her seven convictions before that were mainly for shop-lifting.