WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Cobra Collections Owner Has Criminal Past

Cobra Collections Owner Has Criminal Past

Pamela Goff is all too familiar with Cobra Collection Agency and it's owner Janice Ledden.

She says Cobra rented this property from Buck Investments in 2005.

But they left before the lease ran out and wrote three bad rent checks.

"Spoke to her several times and of course, she always said she would take care of everything and she always had a reason, and she was just having a hard time and everything, but we never did get any satisfaction," says Goff.

Neither did the staff at Dr. Emanuel Wilkes office, business owner Matthew Chan or local property management company Kennon, Parker, Duncan and Key.

These are all people who tell News Leader Nine they're victims of a scam.

They claim Ledden's firm collected money on their behalf, but didn't turn it all over.

And we've since discovered the problems run deeper.

A Georgia Department of Corrections document reveals Ledden, then Ligon, was convicted of theft by taking and served nearly two years in prison.

Chan's new website, cobracollectionscam.com even shows a federal lawsuit filed against Cobra and Ledden.

Goff says she wants justice.

"Doing these types of things to people that something should happen, something should happen to her, I think she should be punished."

Newsleader 9 heard from numerous people over the last week regarding this company.

Many of them have talked with attorneys about getting their money back.

To pursue criminal charges, company owners who think they've been victimized have to file a police report.

Janice Ledden says she was a victim of embezzlement and plans to pay all of the money back.