Arizona Helps California Crackdown Recycling Fraud

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Arizona Helps California Crackdown Recycling Fraud
Credits: CalRecycle

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) helped the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and CalRecycle in its first recycling fraud crackdown across state lines.

On November 7, the Arizona DPS arrested three individuals accused of defrauding California’s Beverage Container Recycling Program. The agency identified the suspects as Miguel Bustillos, Anthony Sanchez, and Amaury Avila-Medina.

The Arizona DPS made the arrest after California DOJ agents coordinated the serving of three search warrants on known locations in Phoenix, Arizona. Agents seized 27,860 pounds of empty beverage containers that were packed and loaded onto California-bound trucks. The total CRV value of the seized beverage containers is more than $41,800.

The three suspects are facing felony charges including recycling fraud, conspiracy, and attempted grand theft.

Agents conducted a five-investigation before the arrests. Agents believe that Bustillos used his trucking company as front. His primary purpose is to smuggle out-of-state beverage containers to defraud the California Redemption Value Fund.