35-year-old man remanded on bail after he was charged with a series of fraud offences

He faced two counts of stealing almost €15,000 in false Pandemic Unemployment Payments from the Department of Social Protection.

Oluwagbewikeke  Lewis with an address at Brookdale, Midleton, was charged with a total of 15 different fraud offences when he was brought by gardai before Judge Marie Keane at Midleton District Court on Thursday.

Mr Lewis was charged with two counts of falsely claiming Pandemic Employment Payments from the Dept of Social Protection, one count of using a false Public Services No and one count of using a false UK passport, he was also charged with possessing a stolen passport at his home at Brookdale, Midleton on November 13th 2020 and with three counts of possessing a false passport at unknown locations on February 14th 2019, August 28th and September 5th 2020.

He was also charged with a further three separate counts of possessing false Permanent TSB Bank statements at his home address in Midleton on November 13th 2020, and with two counts of possessing a false passport at Ballyvodock, Midleton on November 6th 2020 and two counts of possessing false Permanent TSB statements at the same address on the same date.

Judge Marie Keane remanded Mr Lewis on his own bond of €200 to appear again at Midleton District Court on March 25th on the charges brought by Det Garda Crowley and to appear again at Midleton District Court on 15th April on the remaining eleven charges.

She made it a condition of Mr Lewis’s bail that he sign on daily at Midleton Garda Station, that he reside at his home address and notify gardai of any change of address, that he surrender his passport and that he provide gardai with a phone number on which he can be contacted 24/7.

 

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