Agents uncover Washington-to-California CRV smuggling scheme

Suspects ordered to pay nearly $20,000 in restitution.


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The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) says it will receive $19,980 in restitution from the subjects of a multiyear recycling fraud investigation that stretched from Washington state to Sacramento, California. The California Attorney General’s Office, which prosecutes cases on behalf of CalRecycle, announced details of the settlement, which included jail time, probation and restitution payments.

“Consumers in other states don’t pay CRV (California Redemption Value) when they purchase beverages, so claiming CRV reimbursements on those containers is stealing from the Californians who pay that nickel or dime at the cash register,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline says. “Recycling fraud is a serious crime that comes with serious consequences.”

The California Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Recycle Fraud Team (RFT) launched an investigation in October 2016 after Candido Acevedo, 59, of Sacramento suspiciously redeemed several hundred pounds of empty aluminum beverage containers (UBCs) for CRV at a Sacramento recycling center. During the criminal investigation, California DOJ agents discovered that in 2016 Acevedo regularly redeemed hundreds of pounds of out-of-state aluminum empty beverage containers at that same location.

During the investigation, RFT agents identified Placido Martinez-Lopez, 55, of Grandview, Washington, as the source of Acevedo’s UBC supply. Agents believe the individuals were responsible for the importation of more than 4,000 pounds of aluminum beverage containers for the purpose of defrauding the California Beverage Container Recycling Program’s CRV fund. Jan. 9, 2018, Martinez-Lopez was arrested at his residence in Washington state. Agents executed a search warrant at Acevedo’s residence in Sacramento Jan. 18. Acevedo was not there at the time, but he was later arrested.

In exchange for pleading no contest to theft charges, Acevedo and Martinez-Lopez were given credit for time served and sentenced to three years of probation. Each man was also ordered to pay $9,990 in restitution to CalRecycle, totaling $19,980.

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