GAA star at centre of €1m cancer fraud inquiry owed five-figure sum to Revenue

• The judgment against the well-known sports figure was made in 2018
• The GAA star is under investigation amid allegations he approached people for money to fund cancer treatment

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau is carrying out a full-scale investigation.

February 15 2023 02:30 AM

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A GAA star currently under investigation for alleged fraud was hit with a debt judgment for a five-figure sum by the Revenue Commissioners, Independent.ie can reveal.

The judgment was made in 2018 and its satisfaction status is described as “unknown”.

The well-known sports figure is currently embroiled in an alleged fraud scandal after a number of people made complaints to gardaí after he approached them for donations to help him travel to the US for cancer treatment.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) is carrying out a full-scale investigation and is seeking to determine whether he was in fact diagnosed with cancer and what he used the money for.

The value of the alleged fraud is running close to the €1m mark, with some individuals reported to have given him up to €200,000.

Some people who paid him have since received their money back, while others are still waiting.

In 2018 he was subjected to a judgment by Revenue for monies owed.

Many friends, business associates and fellow sports stars are now claiming that he is also indebted to them after promising to pay back money they gave to him to seek treatment for a rare form of cancer.

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In the last two years, he approached people seeking money to have stem-cell treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of bone-marrow cancer.

Gardaí are now examining the sports star’s finances. While a number of people allegedly gave him cash, some of the money was also received by bank transfer.

Members of the GNECB have been taking statements from individuals and have now launched a fraud investigation.

   

A garda spokesperson confirmed they were investigating allegations of fraud in the eastern division.

“An Garda Síochána does not comment on named persons,” they added.

Meanwhile, a woman who gave €5,000 to him has urged people to come forward and to “not feel ashamed or embarrassed”.

“It’s beyond imaginable how deceptive he was,” she said.

“People need to have the balls to come forward. I know a lot of people who have come forward, but there are some who haven’t. I don’t understand people feeling stupid or embarrassed.

“At the end of the day, people did this out of generosity. He was approaching some people at the most vulnerable time in their lives.

“I don’t believe I was an easy target. I was someone he knew from his business and sporting days and I did this in good faith. What an awful individual.”

She received her money back after threatening to go to the media.

Efforts to contact the sports star were unsuccessful.