A County Tyrone man has been returned for trial on charges relating to converting criminal property allegedly using the former WeLinkInfo website.
Appearing for a committal hearing was Gerald Murphy (29) from Duncan Park, Fintona is accused of two counts of converting criminal property namely transactions in respect of a Danske Bank Account and a Starling Bank Account.
It is further alleged he conspired with an unknown person or persons to both supply or offer to supply a decryption tool on the WeLinkInfo website and further caused a computer to perform a function, namely the operation of a website with intent to secure or enable access to a program or data.
Offending is alleged to have occurred on dates between November 20, 2017 and February 2, 2020.
No further details surrounding the circumstances of the alleged offending were disclosed during the brief hearing at Omagh Magistrates’ Court.
A prosecuting lawyer said there is a case to answer which was agreed by District Judge Conor Heaney.
Murphy spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charges against him
He declined to call witnesses or give evidence on his own behalf at this stage.
Judge Heaney remanded him on £500 bail and ordered him to reside at an address known to police at all times.
Murphy is to appear for arraignment at Dungannon Crown Court on November 3.
The WeLinkInfo website operated through paid-subscriptions, providing users with unlimited, searchable access to a massive bank of illegally obtained data.
On January 16 2020 the United States Department of Justice seized the domain and placed it into government custody.
Just over two years later on June 1 2022 law enforcement also seized a successor domain, weleakinfo.to, along with two related infrastructure websites.
