Last month, the top of an Atlanta-based photo voltaic vitality firm pitched Jefferson Parish School Board members what gave the impression of a fairly whole lot: UnMetered Energy would set up photo voltaic panels in each faculty within the district. freed from cost and promote vitality to colleges at a reduction, saving a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} per 12 months.
The $80 million undertaking will mirror UM Energy’s initiatives at greater than 20 traditionally Black schools and universities throughout the nation, the CEO stated. It will even expose Jefferson Parish college students to profession paths within the inexperienced vitality sector.
But the CEO, Frank Oman, was adopted by accusations of fraud. He is awaiting trial in Tennessee and Alabama for theft, and different would-be shoppers have accused him of taking deposits however by no means putting in the photo voltaic panels. His former employer, who says Oman stole from him, stated the FBI is asking about his former worker. Two native HBCUs that Oman recognized as shoppers stated they’d no enterprise relationship with him.
Oman has denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with former shoppers and his former employer. He stated his initiatives with HBCUs are within the early phases and that he can’t talk about them additional as a result of he’s underneath nondisclosure agreements.
In early May, Oman despatched a letter of intent to Jefferson Parish Schools detailing his proposed undertaking. Kaela Lewis, a spokeswoman for Jefferson Parish Schools, stated Jefferson Parish Superintendent James Gray didn’t signal the letter of intent, and that final week Chief of Operations Patrick Jenkins and college district legal professional Olden Toups met to Oman to debate its considerations. UM Energy agreed to enter right into a revised settlement.
“Jefferson Parish Schools remains to be actively discussing the proposed undertaking and its parameters,” Lewis stated in an emailed assertion.Â
An $80 million funding
In an interview final week, Oman stated UnMetered Energy would spend as much as $80 million to put in and keep photo voltaic panels at every faculty. There aren’t any upfront prices for the district.
An influence buy settlement, which determines the speed the district can pay for photo voltaic vitality, has but to be negotiated. According to the letter of intent, the speed will present 20% price financial savings for the district, financial savings that may enhance by 2.75% every year of the contract. UM Energy will even pay the district a $250,000 sign-on bonus. Oman stated within the interview that any funds left over after upkeep shall be donated to a scholarship fund for college students.Â
Oman stated this week that the district has agreed to modify from an influence buy settlement to an vitality service settlement, through which the district pays no upfront charges however finally pays a one-time service price. that the undertaking is accessible.Â
The letter of intent states that each events to the deal shall be topic to a non-disclosure settlement concerning its phrases. It is unclear whether or not a contract with a college district could be legally protected.
“Your coronary heart appears to be in the best place, however how are you going to boost cash?†member Clay Moise requested when Oman offered School Board members at a amenities committee assembly. Oman replied that his firm would not get something and that is their method of giving again.
Oman stated the corporate has capital readily available from a “construction fund†price greater than $1 billion, and that his firm manufactures photo voltaic panels at amenities in South Carolina, California, Michigan and New York. . He later stated he would fund the undertaking with a third-party monetary group. He added that UM Energy is a undertaking supervisor and developer and doesn’t manufacture the expertise.
In an interview, Oman stated the undertaking is feasible due to federal tax incentives, which supply tax credit of as much as 30% of set up and tools prices.
‘Too good to be true’
When he pitched the undertaking to the Jefferson Parish School Board, Oman was already dealing with expenses of theft in Giles County, Tennessee, and theft and monetary exploitation of an aged individual in Wayne County, Tennessee. He was additionally charged with theft in Limestone County, Alabama.
“It is simply too good to be true,†stated Charles “Chuck†Boggs, CEO of ACE Solar, a Tennessee-based vitality firm that employed Oman till he was fired in 2022 for allegedly stealing firm. “He acquired a giant deposit after which you possibly can’t contact him once more.â€
Boggs stated he employed Oman in 2018 to write down software program and grants for ACE. Boggs stated he found Oman was stealing prospects and supplies in 2020. Sometimes, he stated, Oman held conferences with potential shoppers at ACE headquarters utilizing the corporate’s identify, however stored the work for himself and pocketed the cash. Oman nonetheless faces expenses of theft from ACE photo voltaic, however a extra critical theft cost was dropped by a Giles County grand jury, the Pulaski Citizen reported in 2022.
Colby Baddour, who represents Oman in Tennessee, stated each trials in Tennessee are scheduled to be held later this 12 months and he’s assured his shopper shall be cleared of wrongdoing. It’s unclear when the Alabama case is scheduled to go to trial
Oman stated Boggs’ accusations had been “a enterprise relationship gone unhealthy” and referred additional inquiries to his legal professional.
Boggs stated the FBI contacted him about Oman and he met with an agent final week. Oman has not been charged with any federal crime; the FBI declined to touch upon any potential investigation.
Sue “Tanna†Harris, of Giles County, Tennessee, stated Oman approached her after listening to he was planning to increase the storage room at his liquor retailer. He instructed her she might rent a contractor to construct the addition and set up the photo voltaic panels free of charge. After he paid her $70,000, he stated, the contractor did shoddy work that included skipping electrical wiring, and the photo voltaic panels by no means occurred.
She plans to contact authorities after listening to others with comparable tales.
“We had been simply scammed and that is it,†he stated.Â
A roofer based mostly in St. Louis, who didn’t need to be recognized, stated he labored with Oman on a number of initiatives that in the end failed. In one case, the roofer began working after a buyer paid Oman for roofing and photo voltaic for his industrial constructing in Illinois. But Oman by no means paid the roofer, he stated, and the photo voltaic panels have but to achieve the worksite.Â
A faculty-based photo voltaic growth
It is widespread for photo voltaic vitality firms to put in photo voltaic panels freed from cost and revenue from the vitality bought to the shopper, or for colleges to make use of photo voltaic vitality. photo voltaic panels with no upfront price and no threat.
UM Energy claims on its web site to be a “world chief in photo voltaic vitality distribution.” The Times-Picayune requested for proof of accomplished initiatives, and Oman cited a hyperlink to a video preview of a undertaking in Ohio with Yotta Energy. Jordan. Harris, vp of finance and chairman of the chief committee for Yotta, stated the undertaking has been accomplished however is “awaiting fee” and that the corporate has “good expertise” working with Oman.
Oman stated UM Energy has ongoing initiatives with about 20 traditionally Black schools and universities throughout the nation, together with Southern University in New Orleans and Xavier University and that the corporate selected Jefferson Parish Schools as a result of it’s a “feeder of HBCUs.â€
But the SUNO spokesperson stated that the varsity was not approached by Oman. Xavier University officers stated they don’t seem to be employed by UM Energy.
The Jefferson Parish School Board will maintain its subsequent assembly on June 5.
