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American Financial Benefits Center, et al.

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Last Updated

August 22, 2023

Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff, v. American Financial Benefits Center, a California corporation, also doing business as AFB and AF Student Services; AmeriTech Financial, a California corporation;
Financial Education Benefits Center, a California corporation; and Brandon Demond Frere, Defendants.

FTC Matter/File Number

172 3027

X180020

Civil Action Number

4:18-cv-00806

Enforcement Type

Federal Injunctions

Federal Court

Northern District of California

Case Summary

In February 2018, the Federal Trade Commission charged student loan debt relief scammer Brandon Frere and his companies, including Ameritech Financial, with bilking millions of dollars from thousands of consumers by falsely promising that consumers’ monthly payments would go towards paying off their student loans. In October 2020, Frere and his companies settled FTC’s charges. In August 2023, the FTC and the Department of Justice sent more than $9 million in refunds to consumers who lost money.

Case Timeline

August 22, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: FTC and DOJ Send More Than $9 Million in Refunds to People Who Lost Money to a Student Loan Debt Relief Scheme

November 19, 2020

Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Monetary Judgment (2.02 MB)

PRESS RELEASE: Student Loan Debt Relief Scammer Brandon Frere Agrees to Settle FTC Charges

February 28, 2019

Ameritech Financial, et al. v. Federal Trade Commission (9th Cir), FTC Answering Brief, 18-16034 (326.75 KB)

December 21, 2018

Preliminary Report of Receiver (321.42 KB)

December 7, 2018

Receiver’s Ex Parte Application Seeking Compliance with Preliminary Injunction and Order to Show Cause as to Why Defendant Brandon Frere Should Not be Held in Civil Contempt; Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support Thereof (260.51 KB)

Declaration of Thomas W. McNamara in Support of Receiver’s Ex Parte Application Seeking Compliance With Preliminary Injunction and Order to Show Cause as to Why Defendant Brandon Frere Should Not Be Held in Civil Contempt (155.25 KB)

McNamara Declaration Exhibit 1 (710.34 KB)

McNamara Declaration Exhibit 2 (584.42 KB)

[Proposed] Order Setting Briefing Schedule and Hearing on Receiver’s Ex Parte Application Seeking Compliance With Preliminary Injunction and Order to Show Cause as to Why Defendant Brandon Frere Should Not Be Held in Civil Contempt (149.9 KB)

December 6, 2018

Modified Preliminary Injunction Order (107.24 KB)

Order Granting Motion for Preliminary Injunction (120.25 KB)

October 9, 2018

Reply in Support of FTC’s Motion to Strike Defendants’ Laches, Estoppel, and Offset Defenses (222.31 KB)

October 2, 2018

Defendants’ Opposition to FTC’s Motion to Strike Affirmative Defenses (531.47 KB)

September 18, 2018

FTC’s Motion to Strike Defendants’ Laches, Estoppel, and Offset Defenses (207.34 KB)

September 7, 2018

FTC’s Motion to Schedule a Case Management Conference (78.68 KB)

Declaration of Kelly Ortiz in Support of Motion for Case Management Conference (90.33 KB)

Declaration of Kelly Ortiz, Attachment A (over 2,000 consumer complaints) (7.74 MB)

Declaration of Kelly Ortiz, Attachment B (notice of manual filing) (74.59 KB)

Declaration of Kelly Ortiz, Attachment C (transcript of call recording) (731.08 KB)

August 29, 2018

Defendants’ Answer to the FTC’s Complaint (418.84 KB)

August 8, 2018

Court Order Denying Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the FTC’s Complaint (292.41 KB)

May 29, 2018

Court Order Dismissing Defendants’ Complaint Against the FTC (260.76 KB)

April 19, 2018

Federal Trade Commission’s Reply in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction (378.68 KB)

Declaration of Scott Belnap In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (10.39 MB)

Declaration of Melissa Bussewitz In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (857.7 KB)

Declaration of Donald S. Clark In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (10.39 MB)

Declaration of Kelly Cretcher In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (218.72 KB)

Declaration of Ian Foss In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (1.07 MB)

Declaration of Gloria Holmes In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (339.4 KB)

Declaration of Danielle Kinney In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (128.15 KB)

Declaration of Georgia Martin In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (313.32 KB)

Declaration of Kelly Ortiz In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Reply in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction (23.27 MB)

Declaration of Steven Stalick In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (200.36 KB)

Declaration of Gilbert Vasquez In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (3.83 MB)

Declaration of William Zaorski In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (414.39 KB)

March 5, 2018

Declaration of Jacob Martinez In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (126.28 KB)

Declaration of Chelsea Olds In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (391.75 KB)

Declaration of Kelly C. Ortiz In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (109.24 MB)

Declaration of Steve Rhode In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (13.24 MB)

Declaration of Beverly Sills In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (2.1 MB)

Declaration of Ann Stahl In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (1.29 MB)

Declaration of Daniel Stiner In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (73.55 MB)

Declaration of Manuel Vildasol In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (6.68 MB)

March 2, 2018

Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction, and Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support Thereof (460.26 KB)

Declaration of Andre Archibald In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (47.06 MB)

Declaration of Erica Bufano In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (130.99 KB)

Declaration of Chelsea Carbonneau In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (4.39 MB)

Declaration of Mark Dant In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (843.59 KB)

Declaration of Craig Davis In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (288.23 KB)

Declaration of Theresa Dowdell In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (530.93 KB)

Declaration of Sean Emerson In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (5.43 MB)

Declaration of David Gonzalez In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (2.11 MB)

Declaration of Daniel Hamilton In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (2.58 MB)

Declaration of Liberty Holton In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (1.8 MB)

Declaration of Benjamin Lee In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (13.17 MB)

Declaration of Milton Marshall In Support of Federal Trade Commission’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction (7.06 MB)

February 7, 2018

Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Equitable Relief (358.34 KB)

Complaint Exhibit A (3.24 MB)

Complaint Exhibit B (485.87 KB)

Complaint Exhibit C (3.82 MB)

Complaint Exhibit D (2.03 MB)

Complaint Exhibit E (1.26 MB)

Complaint Exhibit F (397.33 KB)

Complaint Exhibit G (825.35 KB)

Complaint Exhibit H (15.38 MB)

Complaint Exhibit I (350.36 KB)

PRESS RELEASE: FTC Charges Ameritech and Brandon Frere with Deceiving Consumers