Eric Caldwell and David Hernandez have agreed to permanent bans from the debt relief industry following charges by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) related to their roles in an illegal student loan debt-relief operation. According to the FTC, both individuals were involved with Nevada-based Superior Servicing and other companies that misled student loan borrowers by pretending to be affiliated with the Department of Education or its loan servicers.
The FTC’s amended complaint, filed earlier in 2025, stated that Caldwell, Hernandez, and Dennise Merdjanian convinced borrowers of the legitimacy of their program and collected upfront fees under false pretenses. The fees were claimed to be applied toward consumers’ student loan balances but were instead kept by the operators.
Under proposed court orders, Caldwell is also banned from telemarketing activities while Hernandez is prohibited from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Both are further barred from making false claims about affiliations with any entity, charging illegal upfront fees, misrepresenting products or services, and using false statements to collect financial information.
A monetary judgment exceeding $45.9 million has been imposed on Caldwell and Hernandez; however, this amount will be partially suspended due to their inability to pay after they turn over more than $1.6 million in cash and approximately $560,000 in personal and business assets. If either defendant is found to have misrepresented their finances, they would owe the full amount immediately.
Litigation continues against Merdjanian and several corporate defendants involved in the case.
Consumers seeking information on avoiding student loan debt relief scams can visit https://www.ftc.gov/StudentLoans for resources provided by the FTC. Assistance with federal student loans is available for free at https://studentaid.gov/.
The Commission approved the stipulated final orders unanimously (3-0), filing them in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. These orders become legally binding once signed by a judge.
Luis Gallegos and Reid Tepfer of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection led legal efforts on this matter with support from investigator Kelle Slaughter.
The Federal Trade Commission states it aims to promote competition while protecting consumers through education and enforcement actions. The agency reminds consumers it will never demand money or make threats regarding payments. More information on consumer protection topics can be found at https://consumer.ftc.gov/, while fraud reports may be submitted at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/. Updates are available via social media channels and email alerts offered by the FTC.
