10-year sentence in solar energy scam

A North Bay man whose solar energy company illegally solicited the sale and installation of over 20 different solar energy systems in Sonoma and Mendocino counties was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay 22 homeowners almost $200,000 in restitution, according to a news release from Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch.

Ravitch said, in a news release Monday, that Peter Kent Davidson, 59, of Sausalito, was sentenced to 10 years and ordered to pay restitution totalling $195,456 following his conviction for burglary, conversion of construction funds and elder financial abuse.

 “We will vigorously prosecute fraud cases, and hold those who mislead consumers accountable to the fullest extent of the law," Ravitch said.  "We have expanded our Environmental Consumer Law Division to include a fulltime fraud prosecutor so that we can focus efforts on cases with multiple victims who sustain economic losses.”

This case was investigated by the California Contractors State License Board, which began receiving multiple complaints about Davidson’s solar business, American Sun Solar Company, in 2008 and 2009, Ravitch said. 

Davidson, whose own contractor’s license had been revoked in 2002, operated American Sun Solar under several different contractors’ license numbers without their knowledge or consent, and solicited the sale and installation of over twenty different solar energy systems in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.  Some of the homeowners paid substantial sums of money up-front to Davidson and received nothing. 

Other homeowners paid Davidson for the parts and service in full, only to receive an incomplete solar system that was improperly installed.  Some homeowners paid Davidson $1,000 up-front, based upon Davidson’s promise that he would refund the money if financing fell through, Ravitch said.

When financing was unsuccessful, many homeowners did not recover the $1,000 deposit from Davidson as promised.  Still other  homeowners ended up with operational solar systems, but with liens on their homes because Davidson failed to pay the solar system suppliers with the homeowner victims’ money. 

"Many of Davidson’s victims were elderly, and some were disabled," Ravitch added.

The defendant was sentenced by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Dana Simonds, who noted that Davidson had a lengthy criminal history, which included construction scams.

California Contractors State License Board Investigator Karen Nicely was the investigating officer on the case and Deputy District Attorney Robin Hammond was the prosecutor assigned to the case.