and taken to recycling centers in exchange for cash under the California Redemption program.
Jorge E. Olmos and Juan Gonzalez-Espinosa, who were taken into custody in the Phoenix area, are among eight defendants named in a criminal complaint inSuperior Court. All are charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft and recycling fraud. According to the state Attorney General's Office, the alleged scheme began in 2021, with the defendants importing aluminum cans and plastic bottles from Arizona by the truckload to California recycling centers. Under the California Redemption program, cans and bottles can be redeemed at recycling centers for 5 or 10 cents, depending on their size.
State prosecutors said the defendants' redemption of out-of-state containers bilked the state CRV fund out of more than $10 million. "No matter where you are, we will hold you accountable if you defraud our state," Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. "The California Redemption program is an important tool in our efforts to encourage recycling, reduce waste, and address climate change. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and state partners to protect California's programs and resources.
Huh?
That's a lot of plastic bottles & aluminum cans.