Fermanagh fraudster given suspended sentence after scamming elderly farmer out of £100,000 – The Irish News

TO Co Fermanagh A man who admitted scamming pensioners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds for dodgy construction jobs in the US was previously involved in defrauding an elderly farmer of more than £100,000 in his home county.

In December, Patrick McDonagh (35), of Irvinestown, was convicted along with his brother Matthew after running what US authorities called a “fraud roadshow” in the country where retirees paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for jobs. unnecessary construction.

The Irish News revealed last month that Matthew had previously been convicted of attempted fraud offenses in 2019.

It has now emerged that his older brother Patrick was one of four men convicted of fraud charges relating to an elaborate horse racing tipping scam which left a Co Fermanagh farmer suffering a loss of £107,000.

McDonagh and three others each received suspended sentences for their role in the scam and were ordered to pay the victim £6,500 in compensation.

Farmer Gerard McDonald suffered a six-figure loss over a six-month period between December 2010 and June 2011 after he was initially encouraged to place a £500 bet on a horse race.

In a statement of facts, accepted by all defendants at the time, the court heard that the criminal activity began after Christmas 2010, when the victim went to a bar in Enniskillen and was told to deposit £500 in a “sure thing” in a horse race.

According to the statement of facts, after informing two of the men that he did not have that amount of money, they told him that they would give it to him.

McDonagh left the pub before the race and returned saying he had placed a £500 bet on him.

McDonagh arrived at the farmer’s house the next day and took him to look for ATMs. According to McDonald, this was all “very intimidating.”

After a series of phone calls from various men asking for money in various ways, Mr McDonald borrowed money to pay them £107,000 in cash.

Mr McDonald was told on several occasions that he had won money from horse racing but needed to pay thousands of dollars for his winnings to be released.

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter in 2015, the victim said he then had to sell part of his farm and that the ordeal had left him depressed.

“I had to sell a farm because I was under a lot of pressure,” he told the newspaper.

“I was getting calls from them, day after day and in the middle of the night.

“My family didn’t find out for a good 12 months. I didn’t want to worry them about all this.

“I didn’t sleep at night. I was losing weight like snow in a ditch.

“I also had depression.

“It is not good news. I know it now on my own. “I was just vulnerable and they knew it.”

McDonald said at the time he felt let down by the justice system after those convicted of the crimes, including McDonagh, were given suspended sentences and paid £6,500 in compensation.

“To be honest, compensation is just adding insult to injury – it’s not worth the trouble.

“I know I’m not the only one who’s been caught, which is kind of comforting, but I don’t understand why the courts are so lenient with them.”

Both brothers have been sentenced to 18 months in US prisons and are expected to be deported back to their home country once their sentences have been served.

Since both Patrick and Matthew McDonagh have fraud-related convictions on their records, it is unclear how they managed to enter the US.