A solar panel installation contractor may face a jury trial in March for stealing more than $690,000 from two credit unions and at least 25 Arizona homeowners, according to federal court filings in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
Daniel Jarrett Ridlinghafer, 37, of Marana, Ariz., was indicted earlier this year on 11 felony counts of bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud.
Federal prosecutors said Ridlinghafer, who owned a solar installation company, Tucson Solar Pros, allegedly used his business to defraud the $211 million Tucson Old Pueblo Credit Union (TOPCU) and the $3.4 billion Nuvision Credit Union in Huntington, Calif., and 25 homeowners.
Ridlinghafer or his employees allegedly signed fraudulent contracts with victim homeowners for the purchase and installation of solar power electrical systems on their homes. The victim credit unions then funded loans for many of the projects based on those contracts, federal prosecutors said.
After receiving payment from the credit unions, the business owner abandoned the projects, failed to provide the victim homeowners any of the equipment they had purchased, and did not install any solar equipment on their homes, according to court documents.
Ridlinghafer’s scheme allegedly stole $528,960 from TOPCU, $92,493 from Nuvision and $74,720 from homeowners for a total sum of $696,174, from April 2019 to July 2022, court documents showed.
Although the solar power industry has seen substantial growth, the number of consumer complaints against solar panel installation contractors has been soaring, according to a report posted earlier this year by NPR.
“One-star ratings on solar reviews increased by more than 1,000% since 2018,” the Aug. 14 NPR report said. “Across the country, prosecutors are investigating high-pressure sales tactics and misleading financial arrangements. Some customers say they were victims of fraud and forgery.”
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