Authorities have uncovered a sophisticated recycling redemption scheme operated by a family in the Riverside area, resulting in fraudulent receipts totaling $7.6 million from California’s CalRecycle program. The accused individuals, Jose Raul Chica, Genaro Solis Fuentes, Maria Ermelinda Saenz Gonzalez, Victor Manuel Hernandez, Jose Alfredo Giron Henriquez, Jose Antonio Interiano Martinez, Manuela Rodriguez Rizo, and Francisco Balmore Amaya Saenz, face multiple felony charges including fraud, perjury, grand theft, and embezzlement. Arrest warrants have been issued for all eight defendants.
The fraudulent operation, spanning from October 2022 to June of this year, involved the smuggling of 178 tons of aluminum cans and plastic bottles from Arizona to recycling centers in Riverside County. The defendants then redeemed these out-of-state recyclables in California, resulting in an illicit gain of $7.6 million. Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the importance of holding those who undermine the integrity of California’s recycling program accountable, as it is designed to protect the environment and communities.
CalRecycle Director Rachel Wagoner affirmed that the agency, alongside the California Department of Justice, collaborates closely to combat criminal activities and safeguard funds intended for Californians. Wagoner emphasized California’s zero tolerance for fraud targeting the recycling deposit system, highlighting the program’s success in diverting hundreds of billions of bottles and cans from landfills and littering the state.
The California Beverage Container Recycling Program offers redemption payments ranging from 5 to 10 cents per bottle or can returned for recycling. The program is financed through additional fees imposed on the sale of bottled and canned beverages across the state. Arizona does not have a similar program, and only recyclable materials sold within California are subject to California Redemption Value (CRV) fees.
The illegal importation of bottles and cans was initially detected by CalRecycle officials in Riverside County and prompted an investigation, which was further supported by the DOJ’s Bureau of Investigation Recycle Fraud Team. The recycling centers involved in facilitating the defendants’ transfers will also face criminal penalties. As a result of the investigation, authorities seized $1.06 million worth of illegally imported containers that had not yet been recycled.
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