Offaly 'fraudster' will be jailed for Covid-19 scam says judge

A MAN is facing what Judge Andrew Cody said is a “substantial prison sentence” for claiming Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payments (PUP) while working in 2020.

Dumitru Beschea, The Oak, Granary Court, Edenderry appeared before Tullamore District Court by video link having previously been remanded in custody.

Defence counsel Paul Noctor, BL, entered a plea of guilty to six summonses from the Minister for Social Protection which alleged he made a number of false statements to receive a benefit or allowance.

Mr Noctor said that while Mr Beschea was pleading guilty, he disputed the value of the payments the State said he had received.

Sandra Mahon, Offaly State Solicitor, told the court that disclosure had been sent to the man's solicitor, Brian Duffy, showing how the amount paid, €7,100, was calculated and it resulted from claims for PUP payments between May 29, 2020 and November 12, 2020.

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Mr Beschea, who was assisted during the proceedings by a Romanian language interpreter, was in full-time employment with Rosderra Meats at the time.

When Judge Cody asked if the money would be paid back, the man said he could do so weekly or monthly.

The judge said the sums had been outstanding for six years and asked if Mr Beschea had been working since then.

He also noted the man had not turned up in court on four occasions in four years and several bench warrants were issued.

Mr Beschea said he would make weekly repayments and added that he had missed an opportunity to pick up some work in “mushrooms”.

Ms Mahon then told the court the accused was working in Edenderry wearing a high vis vest while in receipt of Jobseekers allowance when he arrested. She said the work was with a security company.

Mr Beschea said he was not working at the time but Garda John Crowley, who executed a bench warrant, said when he was arresting him he spoke to the man's boss, who acted as a translator, and he stated he was working for him.

The accused told the court it was his “first day” and it was just to see if he was suitable for the job or not.

Ms Mahon said the maximum penalties which the court could apply were a fine of €2,500 and six months in prison for each of the six offences.

She detailed that the man applied online for PUP in June 2020, stating his last day of work was May 29, 2020 and he received his first payment on June 5.

On June 20 he confirmed online that he remained unemployed. That initial claimed stopped on August 8, 2020 because he failed to respond to reminders sent to him and he claimed for a second time using a different email address.

He was then paid PUP from August 14 to October 29, 2020 and that payment was stopped when “a review was carried out by a social welfare inspector on all employees in Rosderra Irish Meats” and it transpired Mr Beschea was in full-time employment.

The man made a third application on November 10 using different bank details and that claim was stopped.

He then made another claim on November 18, followed by four applications between December 1, 2020 and March 18, 2021 but none of those were successful and he received no payments.

Ms Mahon said that in total he made eight claims and payments were made for three. Of the €7,100 he received, €6,454.40 was outstanding.

The State Solicitor added that Mr Beschea had no previous convictions and said the Department of Social Protection was unaware of the man working since 2021.

Mr Noctor suggested to the court that the accused be remanded in custody with consent to bail for a week to allow his solicitor to have an “in depth conversation” with him for the purpose of mitigation.

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Mr Beschea told the court he had worked since 2021 in the Rosderra meat factory.

Judge Cody said he would allow the man's solicitor to take further instructions from him but added: “Mr Beschea is only what can be described as an inveterate fraudster.”

The judge said the man “clearly knew” he was not entitled to the benefits and he intended to impose a prison sentence on February 25.

He remanded the man in custody to that date, saying Mr Beschea had to be produced in court. “He need be under no illusion he's facing a substantial prison sentence.”

When Mr Noctor asked that legal aid be granted Judge Cody said a statement of means would have to be submitted because the man's work situation was “far from clear”.

The judge said: “It seems extraordinary that the State is expected to pay his expenses when on the face of it he appears to be working and scamming the State still.”