California recycling firm to pay $34M in bottle and can scam

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a California recycling company will pay $34 million for a long-running fraud scheme in which the firm illegally submitted bogus weight tickets and processed out-of-state bottles and cans to get inflated refunds for used beverage containers. Recycling Services Alliance, Inc. and its operations manager pleaded guilty earlier this month to recycling fraud. The company will pay $33 million in restitution and a $1 million fine. The operations manager was sentenced to seven years in prison, which will be suspended if she successfully completes five years of probation. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, the company admitted submitting fraudulent claims for refunds between January 2012 and September 2016.