Shawn Robert Dooling, Wind Energy Fraud, Minnesota 2023

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - A federal jury has convicted Shawn Robert Dooling, 52, for orchestrating a multi-million dollar wind energy fraud scheme.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dooling, who founded Renewable Energy SD, LLC in 2009, marketed and sold wind turbines and installation services to customers, mostly farmers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. However, Dooling spent his customers' money on personal expenses and diverted their money to pay for other customers' projects.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Surya Saxena said, 'Mr. Dooling wanted to live a life of luxury without earning the money to pay for it, so he lied to and stole from people who trusted him, most of whom were hardworking farmers. Mr. Dooling will now be held accountable for his actions.'

As part of the scheme, Dooling told customers that he would send a portion of their money to a third-party manufacturer as a down payment to reserve a specific wind turbine. He then lied to customers about the status of their orders and told them that RESD's failure to deliver the wind turbines was due to manufacturer delays.

As a result of his scheme, more than 70 customers paid a combined total of more than $13 million to Dooling and his company, but never received the promised wind turbines or a refund of their money. Dooling withdrew approximately $2 million from RESD's bank accounts over the course of the scheme for his personal use, including luxury automobile purchases, travel, and college tuition payments for his son.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Surya Saxena and Amber M. Brennan tried the case.

Defendant Information:

SHAWN ROBERT DOOLING, 52

Excelsior, Minn.

Convicted:

Mail fraud, 3 counts

Wire fraud, 1 count

Engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property, 1 count

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-convicts-founder-wind-energy-company-multi-million-dollar-fraud-scheme