Additional defendants involved with student loan debt relief schemes have been permanently banned from selling debt relief services pursuant to settlements with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC alleged that they tricked consumers into paying illegal upfront fees in hopes of reducing or eliminating their student loan debt.
One of the defendants, Brenda Avitia-Pena, has been ordered to pay $11 million as part of her settlement with the Commission.
Both Avitia-Pena, president of Impetus Enterprise, Inc., and Jimmy Calderon, manager of Capital Sun Investments, LLC, conducted student loan debt relief operations associated with recidivist Tuan Duong, who settled with the Commission earlier this year. The FTC alleged the defendants bilked millions of dollars from student loan borrowers by deceptively promoting debt relief services and charging illegal advance fees.
The $11 million settlement to be paid by Avitia-Pena represents gross revenues of Impetus Enterprise Inc.’s student loan debt relief operation. The order against Calderon and Capital Sun Investments contains a suspended judgment for $1.3 million, the gross revenues of Capital Sun Investments, LLC’s operations.
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