Exposed | 

The glamorous couple who laundered €60k in ‘dirty cash’ linked to Limerick crime gang

Warren Hehir and his partner Vicky Hehir pleaded guilty this week at the non-jury court to allowing €59,000 to be used for works on a house

Sat 5 Aug 2023 at 17:55

Here is the glamorous couple who this week who admitted laundering almost €60,000 in dirty cash linked to one of Limerick’s most notorious crime gangs.

Warren Hehir and his partner Vicky Hehir pleaded guilty this week at the non-jury court to allowing €59,000 to be used for works on a house, while Warren also admitted a charge over a Rolex watch.

He was charged that between August 8, 2019 and June 17, 2020 he handled the cash used to pay for works on a house at Kilmurry Court, Garryowen, Limerick.

He was also charged that on June 17, 2020 he had a Rolex watch “knowing, believing or being reckless as to whether the watch was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Warren Heir pleaded guilty to both charges.

His wife, Vicky Hehir, nee O’Halloran, pleaded guilty to one charge of money laundering over the €59,000 used at Kilmurry Court.

Both their cases have been adjourned until October 2 to allow for reports to be compiled ahead of a sentence hearing.

Warren Hehir’s mother, Sandra Hehir (54), from Assumpta Park, Island Road, Limerick, is also charged with a number of money laundering offences with her case due in court again on September 19.

The case against the Hehirs came shortly after Keane “trusted confidant” Dermot McManus also admitted his role in money laundering.

Limerick’s infamous drug gangs are being squeezed for cash after a series of major garda operations to seize money, property and to break-up cash laundering rings.

Last month at the non-jury court, Dermot McManus admitted to three charges of money laundering following his arrest as part of Operation Coronation in 2021.

During that garda operation, backed up by army search teams, there were dozens of arrests along with seizures of cash, jewellery, vehicles and horses.

His links to the Keane crime gang were highlighted during a previous bail hearing in which the criminal outfit was described as one of the country’s “most vicious and ruthless” gangs.

A garda witness said he was a close associate of Christy Keane and the gang are involved in drugs and firearms on both a national and international level.

The gang, which had been based in St Mary’s Park in the city, are now mostly located in the Garryowen area.

It was also outlined how they are no longer associated with Collopy gang, although there was no conflict between the factions.

The Special Criminal Court was told how the Keane gang was involved in a feud with the McCarthy-Dundons since 2000, with incidents dating as far back as 1993.

Nineteen murders, 15 attempted murders, 38 firearm seizures, 35 explosives recovered as well as over 2,000 rounds of ammunition being seized are linked to the lethal feud.

The garda witness described McManus as a “trusted confidant” of Christy Keane.

He said that at the time of his arrest McManus asked a family member present to call Christy Keane and tell him of his arrest.

McManus’ arrest followed what gardaí described as a “significant development” in Operation Coronation, which targeted organised crime in Co Limerick.

A search of a house at Keating Park in June 2020, uncovered €28,550 in socks on top of a wardrobe while £11,795 was discovered in a jacket pocket.

McManus told gardaí he had bought a Mercedes Sprinter van in Northern Ireland but his only regular income was a disability payment and that he had never filed a revenue return or paid income tax.

He pleaded guilty to handling the cash and van “knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of criminal conduct.”

McManus’ case has been put back 16 October for sentencing, while he remains on bail.

In September 2021, gardaí carried out 65 raids in the county as part of the same operation, involving soldiers, detectives, customs officers and over 300 local gardaí, with 12 people arrested.

The Sunday World recently revealed how the Keane gang’s rivals, the McCarthy-Dundons, have also been targeted by gardai seeking to seize their ill-gotten gains.

In one of the biggest operations by the Criminal Assets Bureau a car sales business were raided in March 2019 and 114 vehicles seized.

Last week the High Court ruled the €820,000 from the sale of the vehicles and €20,000 in a bank account were the proceeds of crime.