LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A man accused of collecting $250,000 from Las Vegas homeowners without performing any of the promised work has been sentenced.
43-year-old Derek Carbajal, who was the general manager of Lifetime Power Solar Company, had his license revoked by the Nevada State Contractors Board last September. An investigation by the board found that Carbajal would demand half of a down payment on a residential solar unit and then never complete any work.
“Nevada law stipulates that the down payment for any residential project must be either 10 percent of the total contract or $1,000, whichever is less. To safeguard your investment, avoid paying a contractor more than this amount upfront,” NSCB Executive Officer David Behar advised.
Authorities arrested Carbajal in April and he remains in custody.
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On Tuesday, District Court Judge Eric Johnson sentenced Carbajal to a suspended sentence of up to 90 months in the Nevada Department of Corrections on fraud and deceit-related charges. Carbajal will also have to complete 36 months of probation and pay nearly $500,000.
That includes $245,264 in restitution, $113,534 at sentencing to victims not covered by the contractors board’s Residential Recovery Fund, and $131,730 to the contractors board.
“The Nevada State Contractors Board would like to thank the prosecutorial team at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office for their continued partnership and unwavering efforts in bringing to justice those that harm our state’s homeowners and most vulnerable members of our community,” said Executive Officer Behar.
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