Aneysha Russell charged after alleged $30,000 credit card fraud
A young woman has faced court after she allegedly enjoyed five-star hotel stays, stacks of designer clothing and shopping sprees across Sydney using stolen credit cards and fake names.
St George Shire Standard
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A young woman charged with using fraudulent credit cards to spend almost $30,000 at designer boutiques, five-star hotels and Kmart is facing Christmas behind bars after she failed to report to police eight times in two weeks.
The court heard Aneysha Russell, 24, had been on conditional bail since February after she was charged with a slew of offences including dealing with identity information to commit an offence in February, prohibited drug possession in May and October, and possessing stolen goods in September and October.
Police allege Russell used fake names and fraudulent credit cards to pay for stays at the five-star Establishment Hotel, Sofitel Darling Harbour, Quest Apartments in Bondi Junction and Adina Apartments on Kent St in Sydney between February and April totalling $8116.34.
Russell also allegedly shopped up a storm using fraudulent credit cards at Australian designer boutique Zimmermann in Sydney and Bondi, Optique optometrist in Double Bay, Venroy in Double Bay, Jac and Jack in Bondi Beach, and Winona in Bondi to the tune of $18,140.
She also allegedly spent $3014.45 on fraudulent credit cards at Kmart in Broadway, Castle Hill and Campbelltown.
On May 28 she was charged with possessing 0.55g of the drug ice at an Ultimo apartment, and in October she was charged with possessing 0.5g of heroin and an assortment of allegedly stolen designer clothes.
She was arrested in Rockdale on Tuesday night after police received a call about people using drugs in a local street.
Legal Aid solicitor Mary Underwood told Magistrate Michael Love at Sutherland Local Court Russell had recently relapsed into heroin use.
“She’s an opioid user, she had been on the suboxone program,” Ms Underwood told the court.
“She has indicated she will be pleading guilty to all these charges.”
Russell was due at Downing Centre Local Court on December 20 but Ms Underwood conceded she had breached her bail on multiple occasions.
The Lake Munmorah woman was required to report regularly to Toukley police station and stay away from a male co-accused as part of her bail conditions.
She was also forbidden from entering the City of Sydney except to attend court.
However, Russell was first found by police asleep with the male in a Belmore apartment on December 11, and then emerging from the male’s car in Rockdale on Tuesday prior to her arrest.
She also failed to report to police on eight occasions between November 30 and December 16.
“It may well be that her recent drug use is the cause of her entries (on her criminal record),” Mr Love said.
“But the court cannot have any confidence she will attend court in the future given that she has continually disobeyed the orders of the court, and she has continued to be in the presence of the male.”
Russell was refused bail and will face Central Local Court on all charges on December 20.
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