DC Solar Attorney Sentenced Over a Decade in Prison for Role in Billion-Dollar Fraud

A Lafayette, California man, Ari Lauer, has been sentenced to 11 years and five months in federal prison for his involvement in a massive fraud scheme perpetrated by DC Solar, a company that claimed to manufacture mobile solar generators.

The DC Solar Scheme

DC Solar enticed investors with the promise of substantial federal tax credits associated with green energy initiatives. The company sold mobile solar generators (MSGs) to investors, often without the investors ever taking possession of the equipment. Investors then leased these MSGs back to DC Solar, which purportedly leased them to third parties for use in powering cell towers, sporting events, and other large gatherings. According to the Department of Justice, the scheme ultimately operated as a Ponzi scheme.

Lauer’s Role and Legal Proceedings

Ari Lauer, 61, served as outside counsel to DC Solar and was accused of providing a veneer of legitimacy to the fraudulent operation. The Pleasanton Weekly reports that Lauer was sentenced on March 15, 2026. He pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, 12 counts of bank fraud, and 10 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The Department of Justice originally indicted Lauer on these charges in October 2023.

Extent of the Fraud and Other Sentences

The DOJ estimates the total fraud to be over $912 million, involving approximately 17,000 generators with a purported value of $2.5 billion. Investigators found that at least half of the generators DC Solar claimed to have manufactured did not actually exist. The company sustained the scheme by using funds from new investors to pay earlier investors, a hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. Approximately 94 percent of the revenue claimed by DC Solar came from these transfers of new investor cash.

Lauer is not the only individual facing consequences for their involvement. Jeff Carpoff, the principal figure behind DC Solar, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2021 and ordered to pay $790.6 million in restitution. His wife, Paulette Carpoff, received an 11-year and three-month sentence in 2022. Other co-conspirators have likewise been sentenced, including Joseph Bayless, Robert Karmann, Alan Hansen, and Ryan Guidry. Ronald Roach is awaiting sentencing next month.

Legal Fallout

On December 19, 2025, the California State Bar placed Lauer on “involuntary inactive status” following his conviction. Reuters reported on the sentencing earlier this month.