FBI investigates Waukesha solar installation company, executes warrant
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The FBI is investigating a Waukesha solar installation company for fraud, according to a warrant application filed by a special agent in the Milwaukee Field Division in December.
Sun Badger Solar closed in early 2023, leaving customers on the hook for solar panels that were never finished or never installed.
Among them is the Tricklebee Café, a non-profit that allows customers to pay "whatever they can" for a meal. The eco-conscious café contracted with Sun Badger Solar for the installation of 29 solar panels in its effort to go coal-free.
"We’re almost zero waste. We have one trash bag a week," said Christie Melby-Gibbons, Tricklebee Café executive director. "In 2021, the solar panels were put up."
Christie Melby-Gibbons
Fast forward to February 2024, and the Tricklebee Café’s solar panels remain dormant.
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The Tricklebee Café paid Sun Badger Solar nearly $35,000. Melby-Gibbons says within months of the panels’ installation, she met "radio silence" when trying to contact the company. She says Sun Badger Solar’s work failed inspection and the panels weren’t activated.
Tricklebee Cafe
"Two years ago, we thought we would already be off coal. We’d be generating enough electricity on our own," said Melby-Gibbons.
The Waukesha solar company is the focus of multiple lawsuits. The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit accusing Sun Badger Solar of "deceptive and unfair practices … in the course of selling residential solar panel systems …"
The lawsuit goes on to say, "Defendants robbed Peter to pay Paul…"
The Wisconsin Department of Trade and Consumer Protection has 148 complaints about Sun Badger Solar, LLC since 2022. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Wisconsin has 100 complaints from unhappy customers.
"They either paid in-full upfront or they made large down payments," said Lisa Schiller of the BBB of Wisconsin. "In some cases, (customers) took our loans to pay for these home remodeling projects."
Court records obtained by FOX6 reveal the FBI is investigating Sun Badger Solar for mail and wire fraud.
In late December, the FBI executed a search warrant at Slack Technologies in California. Slack is a chat tool used by co-workers to communicate.
An FBI special agent filed the warrant application seeking "Records that reveal the state of mind of Sun Badger employees and principals with respect to the accuracy or falsity of representations being made to customers..."
The warrant also sought communication regarding payment terms, cash deposits, installation timelines, delays and ongoing investigations into the company’s trade practices.
The warrant’s affidavit says despite the Sun Badger Solar’s "struggle to manage its existing customers, it appears that SBS continued to sign solar installation contracts..."
The affidavit references a former chief revenue officer who told the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General that "upper manager instructed SBS sales representatives to continue to promise clients shortened timeframes … even though the timeframes could not and would not be met."
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Paul Carter in Milwaukee is among the more than 140 creditors listed in a court filing with the Sun Badger receiver. Receivership is an alternative to bankruptcy.
"I paid $18,000 and Sun Badger did not put (any panels) up," said Carter. "It wasn’t very long before I knew the bottom had fallen out."
Paul Carter
Carter eventually hired another company to install his solar panels. After following the online court proceedings, he doesn’t expect he’ll get any money back from Sun Badger Solar.
"There’s just not enough money to go around after selling everything (Sun Badger) could find," said Carter. "Mostly, that went to the workers."
The Tricklebee Café also hired another solar company to fix its solar system. Melby-Gibbins says an inspector and electrician visited last week. She expects their panels won’t go to waste much longer.
"They’re not even activated yet, but we’re very close," said Melby-Gibbons.
The affidavit says "according to DATCP, the total amount lost is approximately $1.3 million."
Solar energy demand is up, so are complaints: Contact 6
Demand for solar energy is up in Wisconsin. So is the number of companies offering installation services.
Contact 6 was unable to reach Sun Badger Solar owner, Trevor Sumner. The company’s receiver, John Wirth, didn’t respond to a request for comment.