Michigan Liquor Store Owner Charged with Bottle Deposit Scam

Lansing, Michigan – On Monday, Namir Shango, a 34-year-old liquor store owner, found himself in the hot waters in a mid-Michigan court. Prosecutor charged Shango with a serious allegation of using a bottle deposit fraud to siphon off money.

“Shango, a Davison-native, runs an establishment named Valley Liquor based in Mt. Morris.”, said the state attorney general. He presently faces a single charge of False Pretense, with an alleged amount between $50,000-$100,000.

Relying on his business, the prosecutors accuse Shango of devising a clever but illegal method to enrich himself. He allegedly created phony bottle deposit return receipts that seemed as if they came straight out of his own store’s processing machine.

“But here’s the juicy part.” These fake invoices were then presented to a soda distributor. In return, Shango received illegitimate credits for upcoming deliveries… Pretty slick, right?

The Michigan State Police unearthed this scam. “Our cherished bottle deposit program was created to promote recycling, not to provide a platform for foul play,” Dana Nessel, the state Attorney General stated. “Scamming business partners and exploiting a state-wide initiative for personal gain will not stand. We vow to bring such fraudsters to justice.” she further warned.

Shango will face the court again on August 29th. If found guilty, he will learn the hard way that recycling is indeed important… but committing fraud isn’t exactly the best way to do it.