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And it's not even Mother's Day. ...

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by mike311gd, Sep 27, 2007.

  1. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    13 arrested in connection with Can Scam
    DETROIT -- Authorities said they arrested 13 people and seized more than $500,000 in cash after breaking up a smuggling ring that collected millions of beverage containers in other states and cashed them in for 10 cents apiece in Michigan.

    A total of 15 people were named in a 67-count warrant issued as part of Operation Can Scam, Attorney General Mike Cox said Wednesday. Some suspects were members of two smuggling rings based in Ohio and others were Michigan merchants who took part in the scheme, he said.

    Investigators alleged that millions of non-redeemable out-of-state cans were collected, crushed, packaged in plastic bags and sold at a discount to merchants who then redeemed them. Bulk redemption payments from the state are based on weight.

    The scheme defrauded the Michigan Bottle Deposit Fund, whose proceeds are used to pay for environmental cleanup efforts, Cox said in a statement.

    "Each year, this type of activity defrauds the state approximately $13 million," said Col. Peter Munoz, Michigan State Police director.

    The charges include maintaining a continuing criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony, and fraud, a 5-year felony, the statement said.

    The probe recalled a 1996 episode of "Seinfeld" in which two characters learn about Michigan's 10-cent deposit law and head there with a truckload of 5-cent New York cans, hoping to cash in on the difference, before getting sidetracked.

    "A half-million in cash is not 'Seinfeld' humor," Cox spokesman Matt Frendewey said.

    http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14214576/detail.html



    No word yet on the whereabouts of Kennedy's golf clubs. ...
     
  2. ColbertNation

    ColbertNation Member

    Wow, who knew that was illegal?
     
  3. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    I didn't. I was joking about going to Michigan with a fellow Seinfeld-obsessed friend of mine to do this two days ago.
     
  4. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I didn't know it was illegal, either. Someone wanna help me empty out my pickup now?
     
  5. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Only in Michigan
     
  6. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    For the last few years, I've been bringing my cans and bottles with me when I visit the family in New York. No one's caught me ... yet.
     
  7. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    edit for accuracy
     
  8. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    Funny (somewhat related) story ...

    My stepfather grew up in a coastal community in Virginia and as a pre-teen would often row his skiff downtown and collect bottle along the shoreline to cash in at the general store. One day he found the gate to the bottle depository next to the store open, loaded his boat with bottles and rowed it back around to the other side of the store and cashed them in ...

    As for the Michigan story, I guess I can stop guzzling Mello Yello now ...
     
  9. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    They still sell Mello Yello? Hadn't seen that in stores in 15 years.

    Also hadn't seen Surge (tasted practically the same to me) in that long, but I guess some Coke bottlers still distribute it.
     
  10. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    And I have done this from time to time, living on the border of a state that does have a bottle bill. I guess the 5-0 are on the lookout for me.
     

  11. Is this a witticism, or am I only half right?
     
  12. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    Seriously?
     
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