Spring in Wisconsin brought a legal storm for Waukesha-based Sun Badger Solar, where prosecutors say big solar promises fizzled out before panels ever went up. Two company founders are now facing felony charges after customers said they shelled out thousands for projects that never showed up, leaving homes and businesses out both cash and clean energy.
Dane County prosecutors charged co-founders Trevor Sumner and Kristopher Sipe on March 17 with multiple felony counts of theft by a contractor, each tied to alleged losses between $10,000 and $100,000. Bond was set at $500 for each case, totaling about $2,000 per defendant, according to FOX6 Milwaukee. Among the alleged victims is Milwaukee resident Paul Carter, who told investigators he lost $18,000 to Sun Badger and was listed as one of more than 140 creditors in a receivership filing, the station reports.
An FBI affidavit, along with reporting by Wisconsin Public Radio, outlines a broader collapse that rippled across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. The defunct company allegedly left customers with roughly $1.3 million in losses and triggered the appointment of a court-ordered receiver last year. State agencies logged dozens of consumer complaints, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development found Sun Badger owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
Inside Prosecutors' Allegations
Court filings describe several alleged victims, including a business that paid close to $50,000 and a Dane County couple who put down about $11,500 for a solar system that never reached the finish line, according to FOX6 Milwaukee. Charging documents also claim one founder diverted customer payments to cover personal expenses instead of completing contracted work.
State Enforcement And Wider Fallout
Outside Wisconsin, regulators had already started closing in. The Minnesota Attorney General's office barred Sumner and Sipe from doing business in that state after concluding the company failed to complete promised installations, according to a release from the Minnesota Attorney General's office. Sun Badger also landed in civil court, including a lawsuit from the City of Chicago accusing the company of deceptive practices, as reported by TMJ4.
What Victims Can Do
Officials advise affected customers to file complaints with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and to take a hard look at any financing paperwork for potential credit card disputes. Those enforcement tools and consumer tips are summarized in coverage by Wisconsin Public Radio. In the long run, receivership proceedings or civil lawsuits will likely decide whether anyone sees money coming back.
Legal Exposure
Under Wisconsin law, theft of property or services worth between $10,000 and $100,000 is typically a Class G felony, which can carry up to 10 years in prison and fines of as much as $25,000 per count, according to an overview from law firm Chirafisi & Anderson. With multiple counts filed, potential prison time can stack if sentences run consecutively, all while the separate civil receivership case moves forward with more than 140 creditors in line.
