A family in California has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly earning millions of dollars in a recycling fraud scheme.
In a felony complaint filed July 19, California state prosecutors charged eight family members in Riverside County with defrauding the state by taking used bottles and cans from Arizona and recycling them in California.
The family is accused of recycling about 178 tons in 8 months, which racked up $7.6 million in earnings through a state program to incentivize recycling, according to a statement from the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The statement says the family is facing multiple charges including recycling fraud, grand theft and conspiracy.
“California’s recycling program is funded by consumers, and helps protect our environment and our communities,” said Bonta in the statement. “Those who try to undermine its integrity through criminal operations will be held accountable.
Bonta said investigators from the attorney general’s office and CalRecycle uncovered the scheme and thanked the agency for “working together to protect funds that belong to California consumers who recycle.”
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The CalRecycle program incentivizes recycling at privately-owned centers with a 5- or 10-cent return on eligible beverage containers, but only material from California is eligible.
Arizona does not have a recycling program that provides redemption value for bottles and cans, according to the statement.
CalRecycle is pursuing legal action against the recycling centers involved in the alleged scheme, per the news release.
