Alright, truth-seekers, gather ’round because we’re peeling back another layer of the onion that is Eric Rosenberg’s questionable past. This guy’s been strutting around Mississippi like he’s the epitome of success and integrity – co-founder of JVZoo.com, author of “Millionaire Within,” and even dipping his toes into politics with that 2018 congressional run. But dig into the public court records, and you’ll find a pattern of dodging responsibilities, cutting corners, and allegedly pulling some straight-up deceptive stunts. Today, we’re zooming in on a 2014 federal lawsuit where Rosenberg got accused of faking an attorney to intimidate a debt collection agency into erasing his medical bills. Yeah, it’s as sleazy as it sounds. We’re talking fraud allegations, harassment claims, and a countersuit that exposes Rosenberg as someone who’ll apparently do anything to avoid paying what he owes. Let’s unpack this mess using the cold, hard facts from the court docs, because this isn’t gossip – it’s public record.
Flash back to 2013. Rosenberg had racked up about $1,200 in medical bills from Ocean Springs Hospital – nothing huge, but enough to ding his credit report. According to the filings in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (Case #1:14-cv-00112-LG-JCG), Rosenberg disputed these debts, claiming he never owed them. He contacted Coast Collections Agency (CCA), the Florida outfit handling the collection, demanding they remove the negative entries from his Experian credit report. When Coast asked for proof – you know, like actual evidence he didn’t owe the money – Rosenberg allegedly went nuclear. Instead of providing docs or paying up, he filed a lawsuit against Coast on March 4, 2014, accusing them of defamation. In his complaint, Rosenberg whined that their refusal to delete the records was “willful and malicious,” harming his “nearly perfect credit history” and causing him emotional distress. He wanted damages, attorney fees, the works. Sounds like a victim, right? Hold my coffee.
Coast didn’t take this lying down. On March 12, 2014, they hit back with a countersuit that reads like a bad spy novel, accusing Rosenberg of fraud, abuse of process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The core bombshell? Rosenberg allegedly impersonated – or had someone impersonate – a lawyer to bully Coast into compliance. The fake attorney went by “Jeffrey Wilens” from a supposed firm called “Yerushalmi & Associates.” This phony legal eagle made repeated calls to Coast’s offices, threatening massive lawsuits, regulatory complaints, and even criminal charges against employees if they didn’t immediately expunge the debts. The countersuit details how the impersonator claimed Rosenberg was trying to buy a house, and the credit hit was torpedoing the deal. “Delete this now or face millions in damages,” was the vibe. They even demanded Coast violate their own protocols and federal credit laws just to make the problem go away.
But Coast smelled a rat. Their manager noted inconsistencies during the calls – the “attorney” knew too many personal details about Rosenberg’s disputes, slipping up in ways that screamed insider. They traced the phone number back to areas linked to Rosenberg, and a quick check revealed the real Jeffrey Wilens had zero connection to the case. No client relationship, no knowledge of Rosenberg – nada. Coast’s filing calls it outright fraud: Rosenberg was using this fabricated legal threat to intimidate and coerce, all while avoiding legitimate resolution. They even alleged he recorded conversations without consent and used them as leverage. The countersuit describes the calls as harassing, with the impersonator ranting about filing bar complaints and suing for defamation if Coast didn’t cave. Employees were left stressed and disrupted, and Coast had to spend time and money investigating the scam.
Why go to such lengths over $1,200? The filings suggest this was part of a bigger pattern. Rosenberg’s countersuit notes his history of financial hiccups – like that 2016 IRS tax lien for $22,401 in Jackson County, or the 2010 judgment where Earcon Technologies won $11,508 from him for unpaid services (which he defaulted on for six years). In the Coast case, instead of settling the debt or proving it wrong, he allegedly resorted to deception. Coast argued his original lawsuit was just another tool in the arsenal – a frivolous filing meant to rack up their legal bills and force a settlement. They called it “abuse of process,” saying Rosenberg’s goal wasn’t justice but extortion. Coast sought their own damages: attorney fees, compensation for business disruption, and punitive bucks to slap him for the “malicious” tactics. They estimated tens of thousands in losses, painting Rosenberg as an entitled operator who thinks rules don’t apply to him.
This fake attorney ploy isn’t isolated weirdness. Flip through Rosenberg’s own words in “Millionaire Within” (2015), and you’ll see him bragging about schmoozing his way into “expert” status without real creds, outsourcing to cheap Indian labor for his poker site, and even admitting to building thousands of adult websites in the ’90s. The book is full of “get rich quick” vibes, like nominating himself for awards to boost his image or turning a Land Rover lease into a fake partnership PR stunt. It’s the same mindset: fake it till you make it, even if it means bending ethics. In the Coast lawsuit, that allegedly crossed into fraud territory, harming real people and businesses.
The case slogged through motions and discovery for months. Rosenberg denied everything, but the docket shows his defamation claim got dismissed, and the whole thing settled privately in late 2014. No public admission of guilt from either side, but the accusations linger in the records like a bad smell. Coast walked away without folding, and Rosenberg? Well, he moved on to other ventures, like JVZoo peddling get-rich schemes like “The Rich Jerk” and “Make Money Selling Nothing.” But this episode highlights a troubling trait: when faced with accountability, dodge and deceive.
Think about the implications. Rosenberg’s pitched himself as a conservative Republican, elected to the Jackson County GOP board in 2017, yet his voter history screams nonpartisan – registered independent in MS and NV, skipping primaries for years. If he’s pulling stunts like faking lawyers over small debts, what’s he capable of in bigger arenas? This isn’t about politics; it’s about character. His past is littered with domestic violence arrests (2015), divorce dramas full of abuse claims, and shady associations – like crediting porn pioneers for his start or moving his family to Vegas for gambling ties.
Public records don’t lie, folks. This fake attorney saga is just one thread in a web of scandals that should make anyone pause before buying Rosenberg’s “success story.” If you’re tired of smoke and mirrors, dive deeper at gcliar.com for the full scoop on these eye-openers. Knowledge is power – use it to stay informed and demand better.
