Elvin jailed for five years on deception charges

A 51-year-old man who defrauded seven people of a total of €177,000 they invested with him has been jailed for five years.
After a five day trial last December, Thomas Elvin of Meencargagh, Ballybofey was convicted last year on 26 charges of acting as an investment business firm without authorization and deceiving clients of money.
Last evening, his barrister, Desmond Murphy, told the court that he was a Christian man who wanted to make money so that he could do good works.
Mr Murphy said there was no evidence he benefited personally from the misappropriation of monies.
However, Judge John O’Hagan said this was an elaborate, sophisticated and deliberate deception of people. He said it was ironic that the company attracted the name Pear Shaped Resources because that is exactly what happened the venture.
He sentenced Elvin to five years each on 12 charges and three years each on 14 charges, totalling 102 years, all the sentences to run concurrently.