A conman who fleeced almost 200 Gold Coast homeowners with a sophisticated solar electricity scam has been jailed for three years.
Stephen John Jones, 61, was behind the bogus companies Energy Saving Products and Australia's Revival Services, and conned householders out of thousands of dollars in 2010 and 2011, the Brisbane District Court has heard.
Jones hired telemarketers to cold-call residents with offers of solar electricity, telling his employees he was raising money to establish a church.
The crooked salesman visited prospective buyers' houses using fake names and, with the help of professionally printed paperwork, convinced 176 householders to sign contracts for solar systems.
Jones pleaded guilty to fraud last November.
Judge Brian Devereaux said the victims agreed to pay a $900 deposit and display advertising signs in their yards in exchange for a free solar system and their money back in six months.
"All of that was a fraud," Judge Devereaux said at Jones's sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
"Nobody received a solar system and no advertising was placed in their yards."
It's unclear what profit Jones made after business expenses, but a total of $156,515 is outstanding.
Judge Devereaux said the victims were tricked in their own homes by a fairly elaborate and long-running scheme that was really just a "two-faced fraud".
"I trust that you by now understand that you've committed a grave dishonesty on many members of the community?" he asked Jones, who stood in the dock.
"Yes, your honour," the conman replied.
Defence barrister Stephen Keim said Jones had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and had "maturity issues" stemming from an abusive childhood.
He was sentenced to three years imprisonment with parole set in June 2016, after 16 months.
