By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 30, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Two Jackson County men have been charged with multiple felonies after deceiving several businesses and churches in the Northeast and surrounding Kansas City area.

According to a press release from Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, Carl Edward Long, 66, of Blue Springs, has been charged with one count of theft, a class B felony, and seven counts of unlawful merchandising practices, each a class D felony. Also facing the same charges is Anthony Long, 45, of Grain Valley.

According to court records, an investigation by FBI agents found that both Carl and Anthony sold solar energy systems to churches in Kansas City, Oak Grove and Lee’s Summit but failed to deliver or install the solar systems after collecting nearly $35,000 in payments.

On Jan. 28, 2013, Herman Gantt, Pastor of New Beginning Apostolic Church, 200 N. Bales Ave., signed a contract for the installation of a solar array system and paid a deposit of $1,430 after being contacted by the defendant Carl Edward Long, who identified himself as Carl Edward, claiming to represent the company Eco-Energia. No work was ever done on the project.

Later that year, in either July or August, Ricardo Zavala of El Ranchito Auto Sales, 4219 Truman Road, was contacted by Carl about the installation of solar panels. Zavala, who only knew the defendant as Carl Edward, gave him two checks, one on behalf of his auto shop and the other on behalf of a church in Kansas City, Kan., as a down payment for installation work. Both checks were for the amount of $2,500. No solar panels were ever installed.

Carl Edward Long told an employee at Eco-Energia not to use his name because he didn’t want customers to find out about his previous felony convictions.

Prosecutors have requested a bond of $50,000. The case remains under investigation.