Operator Of Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Service Would Be Barred From Debt Relief, Telemarketing Industries, Under Proposed FTC Order

The FTC has announced that under a proposed order filed in Nevada federal court, Dennise Merdjanian, the operator of a student loan debt forgiveness service, would be permanently barred from the debt relief and telemarketing industries

The proposed order would resolve charges that she and other operators took more than $45.9 million from consumers as part of an allegedly illegal student loan debt relief operation.

In November 2024, the Commission sued Nevada-based Superior Servicing LLC and Merdjanian alleging they pretended to be affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and falsely promised student loan forgiveness, contending that they bilked millions from student loan borrowers as a result.

At the request of the FTC, a federal court temporarily stopped the company’s operations and froze its assets. Last year, the FTC added several other companies and two operators, Eric Caldwell and David Hernandez, as defendants.

“In September 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada entered orders against Caldwell and Hernandez, banning them from engaging in the debt relief industry,” the FTC said. “Additionally, Caldwell’s order bans him from engaging in telemarketing, and Hernandez’s order prohibits him from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule.”

The FTC added that the proposed order against Merdjanian would ban her from engaging in debt relief services and telemarketing.

“It also imposes a monetary judgment of more than $45.9 million that will be partially suspended, due to Merdjanian’s inability to pay,” the FTC said. “If Merdjanian is found to have materially misrepresented her finances, the full amount will become immediately due.”

The settlement with Merdjanian, and a default order entered against the corporate defendants, resolves the litigation against the remaining defendants in the case.