- Posted February 21, 2013
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Bottle fraud in Mich. may face harsher penalties
LANSING (AP) -- Attention smugglers of empty soda cans: Stay out of Michigan, or you could face jail time.
Lawmakers are taking aim at people who use out-of-state cans and bottles to cash in on Michigan's recycling refund, which pays 10 cents per container.
Legislation debated Tuesday would make an attempt to return between 100 and 10,000 non-returnable containers punishable by up to 93 days in jail or $1,000 in fines, or both. Current law sets penalties only for those who actually return fraudulent containers.
Angela Madden of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association estimates that the state loses up to $13 million a year from out-of-state cans.
She says many businesses don't have the machines that read the mark or code that indicates a container is from Michigan.
Published: Thu, Feb 21, 2013
headlines Oakland County
headlines National
- 50 Years of Service: ABA has been a ‘stalwart ally’ for LSC funding
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Biden recalls time he bluffed knowledge of torts case and why he changed his mind about civil-trial work
- Lawyers’ ‘barrage of personal attacks’ on opponents started with tissue-box toss, appeals court says
- Longtime prosecutor resigns after judge tosses him from case, citing Perry Mason-type revelations
- 24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says