4 days ago
Brothers named in court as alleged leaders of Drogheda crime group
Two brothers have for the first time been named in court as the alleged leaders of one faction of the Drogheda feud.
Keith Boylan, aged 30 and of Moneymore in Drogheda, was named as the leader of the Boylan organised crime group.
His 26-year-old brother, Josh, was also named by a garda witness in court today as the group's second-in-command.
The Drogheda feud, which erupted in 2018, claimed the lives of four people, including that of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods.
Garda John Walsh of Drogheda Garda Station named both brothers during a sentence hearing for three women who have pleaded guilty to money laundering offences for the organised crime group.
Marlena Aleksandrowicz, 29, from Bridgefield in Northwood, Santry, Dublin; Jade Heeney, 27, from the Hill of Rath in Drogheda; and Annie Smith, 28, of The Alders, Avourwen in Drogheda have all pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
Garda Walsh told Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court today that the Boylan organised crime group was involved in the large-scale importation of drugs for sale or sale.
He said the women had allowed their bank accounts or Revolut accounts or both to be used to facilitate payments to or from the organised crime group.
All of the offences took place between 2020 and 2021.
The court was told that each of the women had connections to the Boylans.
Ms Heeney was in a relationship with Keith Boylan for four years while Ms Smith is a former partner of Josh. Ms Aleksandrowicz was a friend of Keith's girlfriend.
In mitigation, each of the defence barristers said their clients had fully co-operated with the garda investigation and entered early guilty pleas.
Ronan O'Carroll BL for Ms Heeney told the court that Keith Boylan was "not someone you could say no to" and the relationship his client had with him was abusive and controlling.
The barristers said while their clients accepted responsibility for their actions, they had been placed under a certain amount of duress to allow their bank accounts be used to facilitate the proceeds of crime.
Judge Dara Hayes said these were very serious charges before the court and there was a strong possibility that each of the women could be spending time in prison.
However, the judge said he would need time to consider the matter as it was "finely balanced".
Judge Hayes then adjourned sentencing to 30 July.
