Stone County, Mo. (KY3)—Eddie Brian Sides pled guilty earlier this week to stealing and engaging in deceptive business practices in Texas County. He has a history of defrauding people in Missouri and Arkansas.

In past On Your Side coverage, we told you that Sides received a suspended sentence and five years of probation. He must also pay $49,064 in restitution. Investigators said he owns My Power Grid LLC in Branson, Mo. A customer hired Sides and paid nearly $50,000 for solar panels that were never installed.

This is not the first time Sides has stolen from people. He has a past in counties like Baxter, Stone, and Texas. Courts documents said he also defrauded several victims of the 2011 Joplin tornado.

Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey told On Your Side that he was amazed at what he found when he researched sides.

“From what I’ve noticed, in total, he’s probably hit people for over half a million dollars across southern Missouri and Arkansas. In our particular case, he’s not really close to our area. Branson PD helped locate him for us during our investigation. I know there’s a lot of victims,” Sheriff Lindsey said.

Sheriff Lindsey also said if you have to pay upfront for a contractor, that should be your first red flag. He said people like Sides are persuasive, so make sure you do your research before you hire. He suggested looking up names on Missouri Case.net to check out backgrounds.

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