Family Accused Of Running Fake Recycling Business

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A Gwinnett County family is in jail, accused of running a phony metal recycling business.

Police said they were trying to get their hands on watch batteries for the silver inside them.

Investigators said the family was having watch shops from across the country ship them old batteries for recycling, but the watch shops got nothing in retu.

Police arrested Gino Ziko, his mother, Tina Ziko, and his wife, Gilda Stanley, for the bizarre crime.

Detectives said the Lawrenceville family convinced at least four watch-repair shops to send them hundreds of dollars in watch batteries and kept the money for themselves.

Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh asked master watchmaker Gary Wilson at the Goldsmith Jewelers in Lawrenceville why someone would want them.

"Silver is over $40 a pound. So we're reclaiming those for the silver for the metal content," Wilson said.

Wilson said it's common practice for shops to use an outside company to recycle the batteries, but those companies pay the shops for the silver.

Police said the accused family would call or fax shops across the country soliciting their business.

Police gave Kavanaugh a copy of a shipment confirmation where Master Metals promised $86 a pound.

GA Daily News also obtained police reports that trace victims from Montana, Arizona and Nebraska.

"Lincoln, Nebraska, police department contacted us because one of the jewelers was in their jurisdiction," Jake Smith with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

When police searched their home on Whittman Place, they said they found several more pounds of batteries from the other states.

Wilson wasn't surprised to hear about this scheme because he fell for a similar one, three years ago.

"I sent several pounds of silver to them and was never paid," Wilson said.

He said he lost $500 to a fake company in Oklahoma. So now, before he sends any silver he gets his money upfront.

Police believe the phony business only eaed the family about $1,500.

The family remains in the Gwinnett County Jail, charged with theft by deception.