Brian Everidge will appear in court charged with one felony count of beverage return of non-refundable bottles - a charge carrying penalties of up to five year’s imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.

In Everidge’s home state of New York, bottles and cans can be returned for a 5 cent refund.

But in neighbouring Michigan, a higher refund rate of 10 cents is available.

Mr Everidge was pulled over while driving a car packed with 10,000 aluminium cans, which he allegedly intended to return in Michigan in violation of state law.

The scheme echoes The Bottle Deposit, a classic two-part episode of TV sitcom Seinfeld in which the characters attempt to do the same.

However, Everidge’s attorney Marcus Wilcox has argued his client did not attempt to return the bottles.

Mr Wilcox said: “They caught him too early. He attempted to attempt to return the bottles.”