How returning a Mi bottle can land a man 15 years in prison

A man from Michigan is accused of bottle deposit fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Bottle return in Michigan

I remember as a little kid, my best friend Alan and I were so excited when we found out that bottles and cans were worth 5 cents and 10 cents respectively. This was in 1976 when people were throwing bottles and cans everywhere and we saw it as a way to make money to buy candy because that's what little kids do.

The Bottle Bill was first passed in 1978 and was designed to reduce roadside litter, recycle aluminum and glass, and clean up our environment. My friend and I rode our bikes around and collected bags full of bottles and cans. We spent the money on fishing tackle, candy, and money to play pinball at the bowling alley.

Since I grew up and knew that generation of deposit returners, our streets in Michigan look great. I remember what the streets looked like and how things have improved after all those years of deposit return. My only problem with the system is when a machine doesn't accept deposit bottles or cans.

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A Michigan man reportedly believed he had found a way to circumvent the bottle deposit system and could face prison time for his plan.

How returning a bottle in Michigan can land a man 15 years in prison

Curiously, a man who lives 20 minutes north of where I used to collect bottles and cans as a child is said to have committed bottle deposit fraud.

According to MLive, 34-year-old Namir Shango of Davison allegedly created fake bottle return slips to redeem at the Valley Liquor Store in Mt. Morris.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is involved in this alleged fraud case. Shango must have returned a lot of bottles and can receipts, as the value of the crime is between $50,000 and $100,000. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of 15 years.