A Romanian couple who defrauded the Department of Social Protection of well over €100,000 have been jailed for 18 months each.
Cristan Turbat (39) and his wife Dorina Turbat (41) of Moyglare Village, Maynooth, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to 500 counts of theft in relation to the monies which were paid out in jobseekers’ allowance, family income support , and rent support payments totalling €114,565.14.
When the scheme was rumbled the pair fled to Romania before being returned to Ireland on a European arrest warrant.
Over a period of approximately 4 years Dorina Turbet, who personally made the fraudulent claims, benefited in the amounts of €64,504.30 in jobseeker’s allowance, €39,483.20 in rent support, and €10,578 in family income support all being the property of the Department of Social Protection.
The monies were stolen from AIB Mainstreet Lucan, Co. Dublin as well as Intreo Office Clondalkin in multiple payments of €302.90, €671.20, €776.70, and €204.90.
The court heard that Dorina Turbat made a claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance, but after learning that she was not entitled to this as her husband was working, made a new claim falsely stating that he was unemployed.
The court heard that during the period of the fraudulently obtained payments. Cristan Turbat was working for Michael McMahon using the name of his wife’s brother.
In July 2018, the Intreo Office in Clondalkin received information that Mr. Turbat was working for the said company which led to the launch of an investigation.
The court heard that officials from the Intreo office approached Gardaí with information gathered about the couple which led investigating officers to gain access to the bank records of Ms. Turbat’s brother.
CCTV from Circle K, Clondalkin, as well as other information, was used to confirm that Cristan Turbat was accessing an account in the name of his brother in law and was in control of this account.
Gardaí also approached customers of Michael McMahon Construction and showed them photos of Turbat which they recognised as “Cris” who had worked on refurbishment jobs in their homes all while the accused was supposedly unemployed.
Michael McMahon himself was separately prosecuted for knowingly allowing Turbat to work for him under a false name, the court heard. He was also directed to pay €55,250 to the Dept. of Social Protection.
When the couple’s then address at Colthrust Crescent, Lucan, Dublin was searched a sock containing €21,350 was found, a sum which remains in Garda custody.
In all there is €34,490 of money stolen from the Doeartment of Social Protection outstanding, with the court hearing that thus far the Turbat’s have not voluntarily repaid anything.
Judge Martin Nolan said that the couple had “taken advantage of a system” which needs to be “easily accessibly” by Cristan adopting “another personality while working”.
They “conspired together to defraud the social welfare” which is a “serious matter” and occurred over a “prolonged period”, he said.
The court noted that “substantial repayments” of the stolen money have been made and that there is “mitigation and expression of remorse.”
“I think they’re sorry for what they’ve done,” he said.
He set a headline sentence of 3 years before sentencing the pair to 18 months each.