Seven sentenced over €1m energy grant fraud in France

Seven men accused of stealing over €1 million through the MaPrimeRénov’ energy renovation scheme have been ordered to pay fines ranging from €10,000 to €400,000, as well as receiving prison sentences.

They were found guilty of fraud by the Paris Criminal Court and of taking part in a “structured organisation set up with the aim of illegally diverting public funds”.

All received fines and prison sentences, although the prison terms are partly suspended and time will be served under electronic monitoring.

The housing aids agency ANAH, Agence nationale de l’habitat, which manages MaPrimeRénov’ grants, joined the case as a civil party, seeking €1.13 million in damages and €100,000 in additional compensation. 

It welcomed the outcome, saying it was the result of “meticulous collaborative work with the judicial authorities to ensure that fraudsters do not go unpunished”.

How the fraud worked

The fraud was carried out through UG Audit, which coordinated a network of individuals with different roles. It targeted the application process for MaPrimeRénov’ grants, particularly through falsified or incomplete energy audit files 

Enes A. was responsible for managing the submission of MaPrimeRénov’ applications, with the help of salespeople who contacted homeowners and generated files.

In many cases, applications were made without the knowledge of the people concerned, using their personal data, and sometimes email accounts or signatures which were created without individuals’ knowledge or consent.

The energy audits linked to the applications were often incomplete or carried out by unqualified individuals, with some documents relying on invalid certifications.

Once payments were released by the Agence nationale de l’habitat (ANAH), the funds were distributed within the group.’

The MaPrimeRénov’ scheme is a government-funded grant that helps homeowners finance part of eco-friendly home renovation projects. It reopened in February 2026 after being paused in 2025 due to widespread fraud. 

The scheme has been adjusted several times, but key requirements remain, including that work must be carried out by an RGE-certified professional and the property must be a primary residence. 

France Rénov’ warns that misleading RGE labels and improperly qualified professionals are among the most common scams in energy renovation, and advises homeowners to always verify that contractors are properly certified before committing to work. 

The sentences in detail 

Six of the seven men were French nationals, while one was Turkish. 

Enes A. was identified as the main organiser and de facto manager. He oversaw the submission of MaPrimeRénov’ applications through UG Audit. He was sentenced to three years in prison (two suspended), a €400,000 fine, and the confiscation of €130,000 from his accounts.

Arif D. worked within UG Audit, acting as a link between sales teams and the company and verifying audit documents. He received a two-year sentence (18 months suspended), a €10,000 fine, and the confiscation of €24,000.

Pierre-Alexandre T. was responsible for recruiting and managing the sales network that generated the applications. He was sentenced to two years in prison (one suspended), with electronic monitoring for the custodial part, a €100,000 fine, and the confiscation of nearly €225,000.

Ibrahim A. was given a six-month sentence for receiving and redistributing the funds from the scheme, the confiscation of some €77,000, plus €130,000 from a company account and €70,000 from the sale of a Porsche Cayenne.

Vivien M. provided certifications used in the applications and received a one-year suspended sentence and a €15,000 fine.

The two remaining defendants, Alexandre L. and Max C., carried out energy audits without the required qualifications. They were fined €36,000 and €30,600 respectively.

They were also ordered by the court to pay €100,000 in damages to the consumer association Que Choisir Ensemble (formerly UFC-Que Choisir) as compensation for harm to consumers.