DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he fraudulently obtained homeowner loans by enrolling unsuspecting customers in rooftop solar financing agreements without their knowledge or consent.
United States Attorney Ryan Raybould announced that a federal grand jury returned the indictment on July 31 against 27-year-old Andres Jesus Linares-Rea.
Linares-Rea is charged with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Linares-Rea worked with solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors that marketed and installed residential rooftop solar panel systems. As part of his job, he sold solar systems door-to-door and helped customers obtain financing through a financial technology lender.
Federal prosecutors allege that between September 2022 and December 2024, Linares-Rea devised a scheme to obtain loans in the names of homeowners without their authorization.
Investigators allege he submitted loan applications, electronically signed loan agreements using customers' identities without their consent and, in some cases, added co-borrowers who had never authorized the loans.
According to the indictment, Linares-Rea also falsely told homeowners that solar panel systems were "free" because of government subsidies or the customers' financial circumstances.
In one case, prosecutors allege he secured financing and arranged for a solar installation even though the homeowner had repeatedly stated that he did not want solar panels.
Once the loans were approved, the lender transferred the proceeds to the solar contractors, who then paid Linares-Rea sales commissions that prosecutors say were generated through the unauthorized transactions.
The indictment specifically identifies two interstate wire transfers allegedly tied to the scheme, including a $71,754.79 transfer on Nov. 19, 2023, to fund a loan obtained without one victim's consent and a $57,173.25 transfer on March 14, 2023, involving a second victim.
Linares-Rea is also accused of unlawfully using the electronic signatures of both victims, leading to the aggravated identity theft charges.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, plus a mandatory two-year prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count. Federal prosecutors are also seeking criminal forfeiture of assets connected to the alleged offenses.
The FBI's Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Elise Aldendifer are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Linares-Rea is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
