51/13 - The owner of a Howell recycling company has been arraigned following a local and state investigation launched roughly one year after a device alleged to manipulate weight scales was detected and removed. Regal Recycling operates two facilities in the Howell area, one in Whitmore Lake and another in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Developmentâs Weights and Measures division originally filed a complaint after discovering a device during a routine inspection in April of 2012 that could allegedly manipulate the weight of items on the scale. The scale was taken out of service and the device was seized as evidence at that time and Regal Owner Vern Brockway was charged with general weights and measures violations last month. His arraignment in 53rd District Court was scheduled to take place Wednesday but court records show that it was moved up to April 23rd and waived. Additional investigation was conducted by The Livingston County Sheriffâs Department and a review of reports by WHMI show statements from an employee who claims to have witnessed the device being used on several occasions, mostly when truck drivers brought in loads of scrap metal from a General Motors contract job out of Flint. The employee alleges he was later shown how the device worked and how he could manipulate the weight of cargo, either up or down by 1,000 pounds. The reports included statements from other employees, who said it was common knowledge that there was a device with a toggle button to knock weight off certain things. Brockway is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing on May 13th. (JM)
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