Tamworth's Michelle Ellis, 32, charged with fraud, accused of mobile phone sim card scam

Michelle Ellis, 32, faces almost 130 fraud and dishonesty charges, but two months on from her arrest, her defence - and prosecutors - are yet to see the brief of evidence.

Ellis did not appear in Tamworth Local Court, but remains on bail, and was excused by magistrate Mal MacPherson.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rob Baillie said he "did not have a brief in my file" and had been unable to speak to the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the case.

READ ALSO:

"I've got very scant instructions," he told the court. "They are all Sydney matters."

The court heard Ellis was arrested and charged in Tamworth, but she is alleged to be part of a criminal syndicate operating in Sydney between 2016 and 2018.

It's the police case that Ellis was part of the criminal syndicate and allegedly dishonestly obtained the identity information of victims through a mobile SIM card swap scam and then later used it for a financial benefit.

Sergeant Baillie asked for the case to be moved to Sydney, something supported by Ellis' Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Rachael Barwick, who said her client had been charged by a Sydney "crime fraud squad".

"My understanding is this should be adjourned to Sydney Downing Centre," she told the court.

DPP solicitor Max Dixon said the Sydney DPP office had sent brief instructions, but it would need to be adjourned.

"They don't have a brief at all," Mr Dixon told the court.

"They've been unable to contact the OIC in Sydney."

Mr MacPherson was reluctant to adjourn the case to Sydney until a brief is found. He adjourned it until later this month for prosecutors to contact the fraud squad so the case could progress.

"Bail to continue," Mr MacPherson said.

Ellis faces 84 allegations of dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence; multiple counts of possessing identity information to commit indictable offence; dishonestly obtaining property by deception; dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception; knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime; unauthorised modification of data with intent to cause impairment; and participating in a criminal group.

She has not been required to enter pleas.

As part of her bail conditions, Ellis has to report to police daily, and live in West Tamworth.

She is not allowed to get a passport or try and leave the country. She's also banned from using or possessing more than one mobile phone; must not contact any phone provider unless its for her sole phone account; and must provide police with her personal phone number.

Strike Force Naiooka was setup in January 2018 by the State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad to home in on those suspected of being involved in a fraud syndicate operating in Sydney's Inner West area over a two-year period up to 2018.

Detectives moved on a 37-year-old man in November 2018, arresting him in Redfern before charging him with 162 fraud-related offences. He remains before the court.

After extensive investigators, detectives travelled to Tamworth and arrested Ellis after she presented to officers at Tamworth police Station on September 8.