Lee Maher, who helped develop Baldwin Park

and Uptown Altamonte, is convicted on conspiracy to commit mail fraud and concealing federal funds.

Orlando resident Lee Maher, who had a hand in developing Baldwin Park and Uptown Altamonte, was convicted this week on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and concealing federal funds for his energy company startup, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The former co-owner of Unicorp National Developments Inc. was convicted, along with a coconspirator, for falsifying documents in order to obtain $2.48 million in federal energy grants. The money was supposed to cover the purchase and installation of a generator at the Clean Fuel LLC biodiesel plant in Lakeland.

“As proof that the generator had been purchased, the defendants submitted eight bogus bank checks to the Governor’s Energy Office, reflecting generator payments that had never actually been made,” according to a release citing Christopher Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “None of the grant funds were ever spent toward the purchase of a generator. The defendants kept the fraud going until November 2012, through the submission of false progress reports.”

The 59-year-old faces as much as 40 years in prison.

The one-time partner of Unicorp President Chuck Whittall, Maher later launched Solar Blue alternative energy company. The startup branded downtown Orlando’s skyline as a marquis company with signage atop what is now Chase Plaza, where Maher leased the penthouse floor.

In 2008, Maher created the Clean Fuel company.

Former Clean Fuel Vice President Aaron Knight said Tuesday that he started with the company shortly after it launched and realized something was amiss in 2011.

“Prosecutors say all government funds were recovered, but this took a toll on everyone involved,” said Knight. “An enormous amount of time was put into this.”

The case grew from an investigation by the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Simpson prosecuted this case.

Following the recent six-day hearing, sentencing is set for March 9 at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. Orlando attorney A. Brian Phillips, who represented Maher, said he looks forward to the sentencing hearing and plans to emphasize that Maher repaid the grant and erred primarily in trusting his co-conspirator.

Co-defendant Larry Kenneth Long, 75, of Simpsonville, S.C., earlier pleaded guilty to mail fraud conspiracy.