Bottom Of The Barrel

TV scam comes to life

In the 2-part 1996 Seinfeld episode The Bottle Deposit, Kramer and Newman hatch a scheme to take 5 cent soda cans from New York and redeem them for 10 cents in Michigan. Yesterday Detroit authorities arrested 10 people and seized more than $500,000 in cash after breaking up a smuggling ring that was implementing the Seinfeldish plan from the notable show. The ring of con men had been collecting millions of beverage containers in other states and cashed them in for 10 cents apiece in Michigan, of course these guys were a little more orgainzed than a single guy in a post office truck.

The suspects were members of two smuggling rings based in Ohio and others were Michigan merchants who took part in the scheme where 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. This action is punishable as defrauding the Michigan deposit fund and the charges include maintaining a continuing criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony, and fraud, a 5-year felony.

"Each year, this type of activity defrauds the state approximately $13 million," said Col. Peter Munoz, Michigan State Police director. Hopefully breaking up this ring of defrauders the state can plug some major leaks in it's deposit fund whos proceeds are used to pay for environmental cleanup efforts.

Nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine bottle and cans in the trunk, nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine bottles and cans.
At ten cents a bottle and ten cents a can, we're pulling in five hundred dollars a man.

posted by TheWino @ 9:55 AM