Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4103Fraud (conspiracy to engage in unlawful use of a computer, conspiracy to make a gain or cause a loss by deception) · Co. Dublin · 9 Jun 2019

Daniel Trifan, 51, jailed for a year for fraudulently sitting 21 driver theory tests

Daniel Trifan, 51, a Romanian former driving instructor and HGV driver from Clonee, Dublin, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 15 January 2026 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in the unlawful use of a computer and conspiracy to make a gain or cause a loss by deception for sitting 21 driver theory tests on behalf of paying customers between June and November 2019.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced15 Jan
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
18 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatTrifan fraudulently carried out 21 driver theory tests for money (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe was one of six people who came to garda attention for providing the unlawful service between 2018 and 2021 (irishtimes.com)
  • whatCustomers paid between €1,000 and €2,500 for someone else to sit the tests (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe group completed a total of 124 tests between 2018 and 2021 (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA fake Romanian ID card in the name of the customer was used in all cases (irishtimes.com)
  • whatFive of the six have been jailed and the ringleader is still at large (irishtimes.com)
  • whatTrifan was approached by a man from the same town as him in Romania who offered him work (irishtimes.com)
  • whatWhen Trifan tried to leave, he was threatened (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPieta House documentation spoke of his low mood and suicidal ideation at the time (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe left the jurisdiction after being charged and was arrested in Cyprus on a European Arrest Warrant (irishtimes.com)
  • whatJudge Orla Crowe described the offence as inherently serious for road safety (irishtimes.com)
  • whenHe sat the tests between June 9 and November 14, 2019 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenTrifan came to Ireland in 1999 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenHe was extradited from Cyprus in September 2025 (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the unlawful use of a computer (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a gain or cause a loss by deception (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceHe was sentenced to 12 months in prison (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Jan2026
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Former driving instructor jailed for fraudulently carrying out 21 theory tests for money

    Sentencing report: Trifan received a 12-month custodial sentence backdated to his extradition from Cyprus in September 2025. The article details the broader scheme of 124 tests completed by six people between 2018 and 2021, with the ringleader still at large.

    convicted, Daniel Trifan, 51, male, Romanian, named, non-irishDaniel Trifan