Hannah Jane Winzer sentenced in court for money laundering

The girlfriend of a notorious Central Queensland drug trafficker used money from trafficking drugs to pay for a $7000 holiday for her and her partner. Read what happened in court.

The girlfriend of a notorious Central Queensland drug trafficker used money from trafficking drugs to pay for a holiday for her and her partner.

Hannah Jane Winzer pleaded guilty in the Rockhampton Supreme Court on February 18 to one count of money laundering.

The court heard Winzer was the partner of Beau Anthony Graham, 27, who was sentenced to 9.5 years prison with parole eligibility set at February 23, 2025 after pleading guilty in the Rockhampton Supreme Court on February 24 to four charges, including one count of trafficking dangerous drugs.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said Winzer deliberately laundered funds.

Beau Graham file photograph.

Justice Graeme Crow said police from Rockhampton Criminal Investigation Branch commenced an investigation, Operation Romeo Kazoo, in 2019 targeting the suspected trafficking of meth in the Rockhampton and Yeppoon areas by Nicholas Blaine Carey, Graham, and an alleged third co-offender, Kyle James Field.

Justice Crow said Winzer was Graham’s partner and they lived together, would discuss his drug trafficking business and she would also accompany him to business transactions.

He said Winzer and Graham met a male associate, who paid Graham about $8000, about 2pm on January 2, 2020.

Graham told the associate Winzer had used the money to pay for his holiday.

Police conducting searches at a home on Hardacre Street in Wandal on February 19, 2020. The vehicles were later impounded.

After the associate left, Winzer and Graham talked about the money and Winzer said she would separate it.

Later that afternoon, Winzer paid $7100 cash for a holiday package with Flight Centre for herself and Graham.

Justice Crow said the Crown’s position was that Winzer dealt with the money she knew was tainted property.

Barrister Kate Juhasz said her client, who worked as a disability support worker, was raised in a strict Christian household, was homeschooled and had limited exposure to persons outside her church until she left home.

Senior Sergeant Detective Luke Peachey at Forbes Avenue, Frenchville, in relation to a drug raid.

Ms Juhasz said her client experimented with the social use of drugs at 18 years old and started using meth at 27 years old and became addicted immediately.

“It is in this context that she committed this offence before the court,” she said.

Ms Juhasz said the intervention of police and her client being before the Supreme Court on a serious matter was a serious intervening event for her and acted as a personal deterrent.

“She has been abstinent from drugs and is remorseful,” she said.

The 1.2 kilograms of ice seized as part of Operation Romeo Kazoo.

Ms Juhasz said the offence was committed on one occasion in an “unsophisticated manner” and that it was a small amount of money.

She said her client remained in a relationship with Graham and they had moved to Brisbane, were both working and “attempting to get their life back on track together”.

Winzer was sentenced to nine months’ prison with immediate parole.