TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Jacksonville, FL business man who provided custom woodworking services along with antique refinishing is alleged to have threatened female customers with putting their faces on nude models that appear on an internet porn site he owned — among other things, according to the state’s Attorney General Bill McCollum.According to Bill McCollum, the State Attorney General, Eric Nelson, owner of W.S. Industries, would provide an estimate for completion of a furniture project based on an hourly rate, although consumer complaints revealed they often underestimated the amount of work needed. The final invoices would then outrageously overstate the amount of work or materials provided. The complaint states that Nelson would then delay completion until well after the originally agreed deadline. When customers became angered by not having their belongings returned, he would respond with new, higher prices on their projects.
When customers refused to pay the increased price, Nelson threatened to hold their goods hostage until the price was paid, adding verbal abuse and harassment to the mix. In some instances, he advised consumers that their refusal to pay would result in their furniture being either destroyed or sold.
In addition to the threats of destruction, Nelson also claimed to own and run an adult entertainment business and would often threaten women by saying that that he would superimpose their faces on nude models and publish the pictures on his adult website to extort their payments. When customers mentioned suing Nelson, he would tell them he would file bankruptcy rather than pay up.
“This case seems to illustrate a blatant disregard for proper business dealings as well as the single-minded intent to victimize Floridians,” said McCollum.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit was filed under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which permits fines of $10,000 per violation. The Attorney General’s Office has received more than 40 complaints about Nelson’s conduct, each a potentially separate violation.
