SACRAMENTO, California — The last defendant in the largest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California has been sentenced, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Ronald J. Roach, a 59-year-old from Walnut Creek, was sentenced to 66 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Roach, along with co-defendant Joseph Bayliss, was among the first DC Solar defendants to plead guilty on October 22, 2019. “Today’s sentencing marks the final chapter in an extensive fraud that caused significant loss,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Our office remains committed to holding accountable those who exploit others for personal gain.”
Roach, who served as DC Solar’s accountant, concealed the truth from investors, enabling the company to operate on fabricated financials, according to FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. The fraud involved manufacturing mobile solar generators and falsely claiming they were used for emergency power. Investors were misled to believe in a robust rental market for these generators, which was largely non-existent…