A Northern Ireland man’s plan to get rich resulted in jail time, rather than wealth. Every person dreams of inventing the next great gadget, or developing a fool proof plan to get rich while sitting at home. Ireland’s own Paul Moran, 30, of the town of Enniskillen, thought he had found a way to make money while not only sitting at home, but while sitting on the toilet.

The 30-year-old aspiring alchemist attempted to transform human feces into gold, by combining it with fertilizer, various other ingredients, and then heating the mixture atop an electric heater. The result was even more of a failure than expected, as the concoction started a fire that led to nearly $4,800 in damages to an apartment complex, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Moran was sentenced on Wednesday to three months in jail, followed by one year of supervised release, after being found guilty on charges of arson and endangering the lives of other.

“Rather bizarrely, you were attempting to make gold from human feces and waste products. It was an interesting experiment to fulfill the alchemists dream, but wasn’t going to succeed”, stated Judge David McFarland at the sentencing on Wednesday.

According to Moran’s attorney, he has sustained damage from long time drug abuse. The defendant is currently on anti-psychotic medication.

Had this get rich quick scheme been successful, it could have revolutionized the “cash for gold” industry altogether.

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