Senior manager at Limerick-based company faces jail over €360k overtime scam

A SENIOR manager at a multinational company who orchestrated the fraudulent payment of more than €300,000 for overtime has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

Brendan Sheehan, aged 45, of Skoolhill, Fedamore has been ordered to present himself to gardai by midday on April 25, next.

The married father-of-four had admitted multiple theft offences which were carried out to fund a chronic gambling addiction.

Three other former employees of Flextronics also pleaded guilty to theft charges relating offences which occurred between December 2009 and April 2014.

They are Tom Collins, aged 59, of Danesfort, Corbally; his son Alan Collins, aged 33, also of Danesfort, Corbally and  Laszlo Szlatki, aged 37, of Holycross, Bruff.

During a sentencing late last year, Detective Garda Fiona O’Connell said a total of 190 charges were preferred by the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to payments totalling €362,081.

She said the company launched an internal investigation in April 2014 after rumours began circulating within the Raheen facility. A formal complaint was made to gardai some time later.

All four defendants were employed by Irish Express Cargo – a subsidiary of Flextronics – to support the activities of one its biggest clients – medical devices manufacturer Stryker.

Mr Sheehan was responsible for all overtime payments associated with ‘Project Styker’.

“The payments averaged in the region of €400 to €600 per week,” said John O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting, who added that only ‘minimal’ amounts of overtime was carried out.

Detective Garda O’Connell said while seven other employees also received payments, gardai are satisfied they did not retain any of the monies for themselves as they gave it all to Mr Sheehan.

Judge Tom O’Donnell was told the defendants were dismissed by Flextronics in November 2014 and that the company, which is headquartered in Singapore, subsquently repaid €274,202.81 to Stryker in January 2016.

All four defendants made admissions when they were interviewed by gardai in 2016.

Mr Sheehan, who was earning more than €70,000 at the time, told gardai he suffered from a chronic gambling addiction and that things had “spiralled out of control”  and that he was “living in a fantasy world.” 

Lorcan Connolly BL said since his dismissal, his client has attended a residential treatment centre and has completed courses at both LIT and UL and is now helping other gambling addicts to address their problems.

Imposing sentence, Judge O’Donnell said there was a sinister element to Mr Sheehan’s actions given the way he had isolated employees under his supervision and put pressure on them.

“He was the architect, executioner and enforcer of the scheme,” he said adding his actions were an “enormous breach of trust” for which he had to be jailed.

He imposed a four year sentence, suspending the final two years.

His co-accused each received 18 month sentences which were suspended in their entirety.

Judge O’Donnell commended Detective Garda O’Connell for her “extraorindary diligence” during what he said was a painstaking and lengthy investigation.