36-year-old Steven Scott has been arrested for allegedly defrauding an Ormond Beach couple of tens of thousands of dollars, reportedly in relation to a solar panel sale. Last year, Scott was said to have received $37,044 to install a solar system at the couple's home and then quit without giving it to his employer, the California-based Powur PBC.
Scott was a wanted fugitive for over a week leading up to his arrest on December 31st, charged with grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, both adjusted for offenses over $20,000. He was arrested at his home in Orlando on New Year's Eve to be extradited to Volusia County. His bond was set at $40,000, and as of Friday he remains in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail.
The alleged crime is said to have occurred in July, with the couple reporting it to the Volusia Sheriff's Office in October. Scott made the sale for $77,063.40 and the couple made a down payment of $24,519.02. Once workers began to install the panels, Scott reportedly collected another $37,044 in cash under the guise that it was one of their regularly scheduled payments.
The couple realized something was off when Powur PBC sent them paperwork for the transaction without their most recent payment to Scott having been included. Scott himself is said to have not answered his phone when they tried calling him, and Powur PBC told the couple they didn't accept cash payments and that Scott was not supposed to have been making collections on the company's behalf.
