A Mexican entrepreneur, Raul Ramirez Rodriguez, aged 36, has been found guilty of swindling 18 students of nearly €30,000, which they had handed over as college tuition fees. Judge Orla Crowe at the Criminal Courts of Justice delivered the sentence on Thursday, a year after Rodriguez pled guilty. Despite being given the opportunity to repay the sum earlier in the year, Rodriguez only managed to reimburse €18,050, leaving nearly €10,900 unpaid.
The court was informed that students from overseas transferred between €1,200 and €3,800 into the account of Travel Now, Rodriguez’s company. This money was intended to cover their educational expenses at various institutions. Rodriguez, who was supposed to only rake commissions for his agency that ranged from 20 to 30 per cent, had used the money to settle the debts incurred from a restaurant business that collapsed during the Covid outbreak.
Judge Crowe emphasised the severe impacts the scam had on students, many of whom had travelled a great distance to study in the country only to discover they had not been enrolled at their intended schools. Rodriguez’s deceit also caused visa issues for students, hindering their ability to travel and work.
Notwithstanding, Judge Crowe acknowledged the mitigating factors, including Rodriguez’s repayment of €18,050 as an act of contrition, his voluntary return to Ireland from Mexico, candid confessions to the police, and early admission of guilt. Consequently, she directed that the reimbursed €18,050 be distributed among the deceived students based on the amount each had lost.
Speaking after the sentencing, Turkish student Mahsun Karakoyun expressed his dissatisfaction with the verdict. He lamented over discovering his non-enrollment at the college, which prevented him from obtaining a visa. Upon exhausting his €1,500 to Travel Now, he was informed that no funds were available for a refund. Eventually, he had to rely on his brother to cover additional college and visa expenses, which subsequently delayed his travel to Ireland.
For nearly two years, he closely monitored the situation and expressed his belief that a more severe sentence should have been issued.
Abigail Acosta of Mexico shared her experience of transferring a full sum of €1,550 to Ramirez Rodriguez with the expectation of being enrolled in an English language school. To her dismay, upon establishing contact with the school, she was informed of her unregistered status. She handed over the money a couple of years ago and has since been anxiously awaiting a possible reimbursement.
Maria Fernanda, another individual who shared her story outside the court, revealed that in the closing stages of 2020, she had prepaid €2,000 for an opportunity to study in Ireland. As time elapsed, she discovered that she wasn’t registered in any class. The absence of an academic course prevented her from obtaining a visa, thus restricting her ability to work and fund another course. She expressed her stress in dealing with such a predicament.