A California man was arrested last month for trying to trade in nearly 7,000 pounds of recyclables that he hauled in from out of state, officials said.
Carlos Vargas, 42, of Compton, Calif., was arrested on June 23 after he was caught on surveillance gathering thousands of pounds of recyclables from Phoenix, Ariz., that he then brought into Southern California and tried to exchange for cash in an attempt to defraud the California CRV.
CalRecycle said Tuesday this is the third arrest of this kind this year involving recyclables brought in from out-of-state.
According to officials, more than three hours after Vargas left Phoenix, he arrived at the Blythe Agricultural Checkpoint in Riverside County and told inspectors his truck was empty.
When Vargas failed to show an Imported Materials Report, more than $7,136 worth of used beverage containers was discovered in his truck. Vargas was later arrested by DOJ Recycling Fraud Team on recycling fraud and attempted grand theft charges.
"Our enforcement partners with the California Department of Justice's Recycling Fraud Team are relentless when it comes to locating, surveilling and ultimately disrupting these CRV fraud schemes," CalRecycle Acting Director Ken DaRosa said in a statement.
Californians pay the CRV on recyclable products at the time of their purchase, and when those empty products are returned the fee of at least 5-cents is refunded depending on the size of the packaging. Since out-of-state consumers don’t pay that fee, out-of-state containers don’t fall under that refund.
CalRecycle says it aggressively works to keep these incidents from happening, and those who illegally haul goods through California checkpoints should know they will be shut down.
Outside of Vargas’ arrest, two others were also made under similar circumstances. One arrest was made in Yermo, Calif., and another was made at the same place of Vargas’ arrest at the Blythe Agricultural Checkpoint.
Local
Vargas is expected to be arraigned on Aug. 18 in Indio.
