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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mail Tribune announces leadership changes in the newsroom ... Since You Asked: Oregon handles possible data breach differently ... At the ready ... Mail Tribune announces leadership changes in the newsroom ... Since You Asked: Oregon handles possible data breach differently ... At the ready ... PORTLAND Solar project consultant charged with fraud in Oregon Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 30, 2016 at 7:00 PM By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 30, 2016 at 7:00 PM » Social News PORTLAND — An energy consultant involved with an Oregon solar power project has been indicted on forgery charges. Martin Shain, the lead consultant on the state's $24 million "Solar by Degree" project, was indicted on two forgery counts on Thursday, reported The Oregonian/OregonLive. Prosecutors say he created a fake invoice from a fictional subcontractor to help secure nearly $12 million in tax credits from the Oregon Department of Energy. The Oregon Department of Justice investigated Shain after The Oregonian/OregonLive raised questions about the project's management and funding. Gov. Kate Brown and Energy Department head Michael Kaplan requested the investigation. The state says Shain, an energy consultant with Seattle-based BacGen Technologies, forged two documents. One was a bill dated Feb. 25, 2011, supposedly submitted by the Solar Foundation Systems. It detailed construction expenditures on each of the solar arrays and was supposed to prove that work on the project was underway. Solar Foundation Systems, however, didn't exist. Jim McDermott, Shain's lawyer, agrees that the invoice was made up but says someone else on the project gave the document to his client and Shain assumed it was genuine. The state also argues that Shain forged a December 2011 letter signed by Ryan Davies, the former head of Utah developer RedCo. The document was submitted by the project team to prove it was meeting the benchmarks required to qualify for tax credits. The letter said construction was progressing and reported that $210,000 had been spent on the project. Davies told The Oregonian/Oregon Live in 2015 that he had never seen the letter before. McDermott said Shain will be found innocent. "We believe that Martin Shain is innocent of the Oregon AG's unfounded charges," the attorney said. "We fully expect he'll be acquitted by a jury." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 30, 2016 at 7:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501