State of Florida goes after solar company Action 9 had been investigating

ORLANDO, Fla. — The State of Florida is now going after a solar company Action 9 has been investigating for the past year.

Attorney General Ashley Moody claims MC Solar scammed hundreds of Floridians, including seniors and veterans. She announced a lawsuit against the company and its owners during a news conference in Tampa Tuesday afternoon.

Moody said, “This really affects consumers and Floridians statewide.”

Moody blasted the company and pointed out many of its alleged victims are vulnerable people.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

“A large number of them seniors, some who had difficulty even understanding what they were contracting,” she said.

MC Solar is a company Action 9 first highlighted earlier this year when consumers reported paying tens of thousands of dollars for solar systems that didn’t work.

Consumer Robert Duffendak was one of them.

“We heard their pitch, and they made a lot of promises,” Duffendak said.

Read: Department of Justice investigating officer-involved shooting at Osceola County Target store

He signed a $100,000 contract with MC Solar to convert his Seminole Count home into a sun-loving energy producer.

“But unfortunately, that, that didn’t pan out,” he told Action 9 about 8-months after signing his contract.

He showed the crew his panels weren’t working, and he wasn’t alone. Other consumers told Action 9 they had similar issues.

Read: Solar panels: Finding reputable contractors

Ashely Moody’s office received around 400 complaints about MC Solar. Her office is alleging the company used deceptive and unscrupulous business practices. It’s also claiming that MC Solar abandoned contracts, forged applications and even threatened legal action on consumers.

In the news conference, Moody said the owners of the company immediately started spending money on themselves after signing people to contracts.

“Paying themselves, family members, living luxury lifestyles which is what we see in these types of scams,” she said.

Read: Navigating the wild west of home solar power

After Action 9 inquired about Robert Duffendak’s case, his panels eventually did get hooked up and are now working. Still, he told Action 9 it was a frustrating experience.

As part of the lawsuit, the state wants to permanently ban the defendants from engaging in many activities related to the solar industry and wants to get restitution for the victims. Ashely Moody is also looking at the possibility of bringing criminal charges.

Action 9 reached out to Danny Chopra, one of the individuals behind MC Solar. He sent Deal the following statement: “I just want to let the public know that I’ve helped over 320 customers get their solar turned on and I will continue to do so till everyone is completed.” He went on to say that he was a silent partner and was not involved with these issues.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group