Townsville woman Rikki Dana Reeves accused of running ‘sophisticated’ counterfeit operation

Police will allege a fake $100 note led them to a “sophisticated” counterfeit money operation running out of a Townsville CBD unit.

Police will allege a fake $100 note led them to a “sophisticated” counterfeit money operation running out of a Townsville CBD unit.

A court has heard how Rikki Dana Reeves, 41, was on bail with strict conditions, including wearing a GPS ankle monitor after being arrested for serious drug-related crimes.

When she was allegedly captured on CCTV using the counterfeit currency to buy clothing, police launched a raid on Wednesday of her unit on Denham St – which she shared with two roommates.

In Reeves’ study, police prosecutor Erin Collis said officers discovered $6240 in counterfeit notes, as well as a computer, printers, and materials used for creating different denominations of Australian currency notes, including bar codes and clear windows.

Given that Reeves was unemployed with no identified source income, it was alleged that she was living “well beyond her means” and it was suspected to be using “proceeds of crime” in the $800 per week unit.

fake $100 note helped reveal a Townsville counterfeit note operation. Picture: QPS.

Police also allegedly uncovered evidence of her supplying drugs through social media.

Reeves faces numerous charges including two counts of possessing counterfeit money, two counts of supplying dangerous drugs, and single counts of making counterfeit money or counterfeit securities, possession of counterfeit instrument, possession of bullion/paper etc for counterfeiting, uttering counterfeit money.

She was also charged with possessing anything used in the commission of crime, possessing dangerous drugs, receiving tainted property and the unlawful possession of weapons.

Reeves did not appear in Townsville Magistrates Court when her defence lawyer Tim Fedorowytsch applied for bail.

With the presumption of bail against her release, Mr Fedorowytsch challenged the strength of evidence for the supply charges and blamed “threats of violence” during a recently ended relationship for Reeves allowing the operation to take place in her unit.

Anticipating an extended period of time in custody while police assembled a brief of evidence, he urged the magistrate to grant bail, saying there were strict bail conditions in place, including reporting to police five times a week, and wearing the tracking device.

Noting that this latest offending had occurred while she was on bail with the strict conditions, and her history of drug offending, Magistrate Steven Mosch was not satisfied that Reeves had shown cause to be released, rejecting the bail application.

Her case will return to court on September 16.

Originally published as Townsville woman Rikki Dana Reeves accused of running ‘sophisticated’ counterfeit operation