Man Attacks CFA Over Furniture Deal Gone Bad

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Several metro residents say they're owed money for a furniture deal gone bad. They've contacted the police, but nothing's been done. Now, they're turning to Call For Action. When we showed up, the reporter and photographer became victims themselves.

We weren't scammed, but attacked when we tried to find Jeremy Skaggs and get consumers their money back. The attack prompted us to call the police.

Click on the link to the left to watch the RAW VIDEO of the confrontation with Call For Action.

A man wearing a scarf covering his face, sunglasses, and a hat came from the back of his home waving a shovel.

He yelled, "I don't know what the hell's going on. Get the hell out of here."

The man clearly doesn't want to answer Call For Action's questions. We showed up at the Kansas City home wanting to talk with Jeremy Skaggs.

Furniture Ripoff

Consumers say he put up flyers in apartment complexes, offering furniture at a great price.

"He told me his family lives in Cuba, Missouri, and they are very prominent and this apartment complex was going out of business so they wanted to sell the model home furniture,” Katie Decelles said.

Skaggs sent pictures of the furniture, and seemed trustworthy. Decelles bought the story, and bought the furniture. Then, the excuses started.

"I was in denial. People kept saying you've been scammed, and I said oh no things happen. He's a really nice guy," Decelles said.

But that trust and confidence in Skaggs dwindled with time. Decelles wrote an $800 dollar check on Halloween, but the furniture still hasn't showed up.

"We know we are never going to get our money back, but he still leads us to think we are even two months later," Decelles said.

Skaggs did refund Katie $200 of her $800 dollars to appease her, but she still wants the remaining $600.

It's a familiar story for Heath Murray. He's left with an empty home, and pictures of what he's supposed to get for $950. Murray wants Skaggs stopped.

"He's going to keep doing it," Murray said.

So, customers called for action.

Man Attacks News Crew

We knocked on a door at a home off Ward Parkway looking for Skaggs. Nobody answered, so we left a card, and walked back to our car.

While loading the camera back in the car, we saw a man storming out of his backyard waving a shovel and shouting profanities.

"I know what the hell's going on. Get the hell out of here," He screamed as he hit our camera with a wooded handled, metal shovel. It hit the camera so hard; it knocked the lens cover off center.

Reporter Jenn Strathman answered, "Don't hit our camera."

The man replied, "No, get the hell out of here. You are on my private property. So get the hell out of here."

Strathman asked, "Are you Jeremy?"

"No," the man answered. "And I don't know why people keeping coming over to my house. Get the hell out of here. I'm serious," he explained as he hit our camera a second time with the shovel.

We know he's serious, but there is nowhere for us to go. A metal shovel and an angry man stand in our way.

So, the man continues to yell and hit our camera and equipment. Even when we get inside the car, the attack continues.

We didn't pull out of the driveway immediately, because we had to wait for two lanes of oncoming traffic to pass. The man didn't seem to care, and came at us again with a shovel.

Photographer Michael Butler said, "There's traffic dude. You have to wait for traffic."

The man yelled, "Get the f*** out of here. I don't care."

Butler answered, "I'm not going to get in a wreck."

The man repeatedly hit our car while backing up, and even once we were in the street.

Jeremy Skaggs denies he's the one who attacked us with the shovel. He says it was his ex-partner, but the victims believe its Skaggs.

NBC Action News station management wants to press assault charges. Kansas City police say we only have a case for property damage. Amazingly, a small ding is the only damage to the vehicle.

However, the police still went to the home where the attack happened. NBC Action News knows the individual was still in the home, because we watched him walk to and from his neighbor's house from across the street. He eventually returned to his home, and then the police arrived to take our report. We never saw the man leave again, but he refused to answer the door when the police knocked on his door.

Skaggs Reacts

Skaggs called us after our visit, and explained that he's a victim, too. He admits money is owed, though. Skaggs said he and his attorney wanted to meet. But, they never showed up. He also told us he'd send a statement, but we never got anything.

Kansas City police told us we have a case for aggravated assault only if we're hit. However, two Kansas Police Departments say they'd take the case and pursue the man for aggravated assault if the attack happened in their jurisdiction.

As for the customers, Overland Park and Lenexa Police are investigating a furniture scam. Since nobody has been charged, they won't say if it's Skaggs. But, it's a similar furniture scam.

We also found Skaggs has a warrant out for his arrest in Overland Park for larceny over $2000.

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