AEOS solar company scams Phoenix pastor out of $24,000

A mysterious owner, who can’t be found, and people’s money, gone without a trace.

A young pastor and his family are the victims of a scam that is still unresolved.

He said he thought it would never happen to him and warns consumers to be wary because it could, in fact, happen to you next.

$24,000 put towards a promise, a promise that a rooftop solar system would be installed on their Glendale home.

Jason and Alyssa Feeser thought they would end up saving thousands when a salesman for AEOS Solar Energy first introduced the idea.

35 percent savings, that’s what Feeser thought would come with the benefit of a new solar system.

Feeser is an assistant pastor at Calvary Community Church.

He said he thought he was living a financially safe life, driving old cars, and pinching every penny.

Feeser had taken out a $24,000 loan to start the project in November of 2018.

A seemingly safe move for his family, he found only good reviews and experiences from members of the church.

Even his father, who owns a computer IT firm, approved of the contract Feeser signed.

Four months after hire, there were no workers and no panels to be found.

Seven homeowners across the metro Phoenix area filed complaints against AEOS Energy and its owner, Jonathan Kirkland.

Despite taking 200,000 dollars in payments, none of the jobs were completed.

The Arizona Registrar of contractors has now revoked the company’s license.

Even the sales representatives were fooled/

Feeser said a trusted friend had told him about the company, not aware that his end of the scam was around the corner.

Week after week, Feeser was in the dark, not sure when the work would start.

Three months after taking out a loan, Feeser learned the company’s office in Tempe had been shut down, and their number was disconnected.

An email, written by Kirkland himself, outlined the “financial hardships” occurring within the company.

An additional letter soon came in the mail from Kirkland’s lawyer, who would be facilitating “the winding up of the company”.

After filing complaints with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, the hearing process began.

The hearing determined that “AEOS Energy Inc. abandoned its …residential contracts by failing to install any solar panels and in some cases, failed to do any work, despite being paid in full,” the agency said in a statement. “The (license) revocation will take effect on May 14, 2019.”

13 On Your Side personally visited two properties listed in conjunction with Kirkland’s name.

One belonged to Kirkland’s father who said he no longer lived in the state and claimed to be unaware to the scam.

The other house, after two rings of the doorbell, gave no indication of anyone home.

Similar to others affected, Feeser hopes to receive some compensation from the Registrar of Contractor’s recovery fund, which reimburses victims of contractor scams from license fees.

That process, however, could take up to a year.

Feeser could end up paying more than 250 dollars a month to pay back a loan that he thought would save him that amount of money, and more.