Michigan man charged in bottle return fraud case

Davison liquor store owner accused of $50K bottle return scheme.

A Davison man is in hot water after allegedly committing bottle return fraud.

Namir Shango, 34, was arraigned in the 67th District Court in Saginaw on one count of False Pretenses, $50,000 to $100,000, earlier this month—a felony that could land him up to 15 years behind bars.

Shango is accused of running a bottle return scam at Valley Liquor in Mt. Morris, where he allegedly created fake bottle deposit return invoices, made to look as though they were generated by his in-store bottle return processing machine, and presented these to his soft-drink distributor to receive fraudulent credits toward incoming deliveries. The investigation was conducted by Michigan State Police.

“Michigan’s bottle deposit program is meant to incentivize recycling efforts, and the State needs business owners to operate with integrity to achieve those goals,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a press release. “Defrauding businesses partners, and taking advantage of a popular state program for self-enrichment, will not be tolerated and my department will hold fraudsters accountable.”

Shango is scheduled to appear before the court for a probable cause conference on August 29th.

“Fraudulent bottle deposit activity like this hurts businesses, the state of Michigan, and ultimately, reduces funds meant to protect our environment,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “We are committed to identifying and putting a stop to these crimes.”