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Reporter: Mike McKnight

Ross Sherwood In Court

An Omaha man who has built a bad reputation as a contractor faces a judge. This time accused of a $1200 rental scam. For a decade Mike McKnight has been reporting on complaints against Ross Sherwood and our camera was there when he left court.

The man who took a rent deposit on this house doesn't own it and faces a theft charge. A few weeks ago Ross Sherwood claimed a misunderstanding but he's wasn't in the mood for an explanation leaving court.

"Get a job Mike, get a job I go to go to work, get a job."

Dan Keller is seeking a nearly seven thousand dollar refund from Sherwood on a deck project never started, "If he's got a job he should start paying people back. And certainly should change the businesses practices he's had over the last 10 plus years."

That's taking thousands of dollars and not finishing work. Jim Hegarty with the Better Business Bureau says, "He's a contractor we've had a multitude of problems with."

The Better Business Bureau has 17 customer complaints against Sherwood.

Keller says a red flag popped up for him about an hour after signing a contract and giving Sherwood nearly seven thousand dollars because he says Sherwood wanted to start a major deck project before getting permits.

"That didn't sit right and as I started doing research I found there were all sorts of issues with the Better Business Bureau."

So far authorities have considered those unfinished projects as civil matters amounting to thousands of dollars. It took a $1200 rent scam allegation to get Sherwood into criminal court.

Sherwood waived his preliminary hearing and is bound over to district court on theft by deception charge for taking rent on a house he doesn't own.

The real landlord has filed eviction papers against him.

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