ABOUT Pounds 134,000 in various accounts and a house bought for Pounds 46,500 were the proceeds of illegal drug-dealing by three members of the Felloni family, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told yesterday.
The three jailed Felloni family members, Tony, Regina and Luigi, are opposing a move by the State to confiscate the money and property under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act of 1994 and were in court for the hearing.
The court heard that Tony Felloni, who is serving a 20-year sentence for drug dealing, was originally known as "Anthony Carroll", but changed his name by deed poll to "Felloni" in 1959.
Judge Kieran O'Connor adjourned further hearing of the application to July 28th at the request of Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC for the Fellonis. This is the first such application to be opposed since the Act came into operation.
Details of the money and property were outlined in an affidavit by Det Sgt John O'Driscoll which was read by counsel for the DPP, Mr Shane Murphy.
Mr Murphy said that the DPP had been granted an order of restraint in the High Court on April 5th, 1996. This related to "specific realisable property in possession or under the control of the three respondents". This order "froze" all their known accounts and assets.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said in the affidavit that Tony Felloni was serving a 20-year jail term, his daughter, Regina, was serving six years and nine months, and his son, Luigi, six years. All three had pleaded guilty to drug- dealing.
He had served an order pursuant to Section 63 of the 1994 Act on Mr David Kelly, of Irish Permanent plc, 56 St Stephen's Green, on September 13th, 1996. Following this, Det Sgt O'Driscoll said, documents relating to "Anthony Carroll of 73 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1" had been handed over to him.
An examination of the books and records in relation to this account revealed that Tony Felloni opened it in 1984 and made a number of lodgments between then and 1991. The year end balance for 1992 was Pounds 153,703.99 and almost all of this was withdrawn in July 1993.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said he believed Tony Felloni thereafter used bank accounts in the name of Regina, particularly, and Luigi "for the purposes of securing cash which was the realised proceeds of drug-trafficking".
He believed there were accounts in Dublin at the Rotunda branch of the Bank of Ireland; AIB, O'Connell Street; Irish Civil Service Building Society, Westmoreland Street; and IPBS, St Stephen's Green.
Regina Felloni had an account numbered 23842219 at the Rotunda branch of the Bank of Ireland with a current balance not less than Pounds 68,995. This account was opened in 1977 and only six transactions were made in it up to 1993. However, from November 1993 to March 27th, 1996, the account was "extremely active".
"Det Sgt O'Driscoll said he believed Regina Felloni used this account to work in conjunction with Tony Felloni to secure funds which they had received as a result of their participation in drug-trafficking offences".
Det Sgt O'Driscoll's affidavit went on to say that Regina Felloni maintained account number 24904032 at AIB, O'Connell Street, from July 11th, 1994, and the current balance was not less than Pounds 24,368.
She opened account number 28892098 at the ICSBS in Westmoreland Street on January 6th, 1994, and it had a current balance of not less than Pounds 18,510.
Luigi Felloni opened a savings account (number €871370) with An Post on November 23rd, 1995, and its balance was not less than Pounds 1,629.
Det Sgt O'Driscoll said that Regina Felloni told gardai she and her grandfather were joint owners of a property at 127 Mellowes Road, Finglas. He believed this house was purchased by Regina Felloni for Pounds 46,500 on or about December 14th, 1995.