Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding JPMorgan Chase Settlement Fund for Jeffrey Epstein Victims

A Florida woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to falsifying records and unlawfully obtaining $750,000 from a compensation fund established for victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Jennifer Percival, 46, entered her guilty plea in a New York federal court on Monday, according to court transcripts entered into the record on Wednesday.

Percival, who lives in Boca Raton and serves as the director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, admitted during her court appearance that she fabricated application materials to secure a payout from a settlement fund created by JPMorgan Chase. The bank set up the fund to resolve legal claims alleging it should have severed ties with Epstein years earlier, following public accusations that he was a serial sexual abuser of underage girls. JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $290 million to victims as part of that settlement.

According to federal prosecutors and court records, Percival originally applied in late 2020 to a separate compensation fund set up by Epstein's estate after he died by suicide while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges. That initial estate fund rejected her application and determined she was ineligible for compensation. Court records do not specify the reason for the rejection, and during Monday's court appearance, prosecutors did not state whether investigators had reached a conclusion on whether Percival was a victim of Epstein.

Despite being turned down by the estate fund, Percival applied for a share of the JPMorgan Chase-backed settlement fund in 2024. To support her new application, she submitted an altered copy of her original rejection letter, fraudulently modifying it to make it appear as though the Epstein estate fund had found her eligible and previously paid her $500,000. Relying on these misstatements, the bank's compensation fund wired her $750,000 in 2024.

"The purpose of these actions was to obtain money, which gave me a sense of validation," Percival told a magistrate judge during the hearing, according to court transcripts.

The scheme unraveled after the FBI launched an investigation into the payout. When agents confronted Percival in late 2025 with the authentic rejection letter from the Epstein estate fund, she falsely claimed to have successfully appealed the decision. She subsequently provided her defense attorney with altered and fabricated emails, which were then submitted to federal prosecutors in an effort to secure a deferred prosecution agreement.

"I know that my actions were wrongful, and I accept full responsibility," Percival stated in court.

At her plea hearing, Percival brought a check to cover the $776,031 she owes in restitution. She was released from custody following the proceeding while awaiting sentencing. A specific sentencing date was not immediately scheduled by the court.

Under the terms of the plea agreement signed with prosecutors, federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison term ranging from three to four years, though a presiding judge retains the discretion to impose a different sentence. Prosecutors indicated that had the case proceeded to trial, evidence would have included Percival's bank records, search warrant returns from her email account, and testimony from the administrator overseeing the Epstein settlement funds.

Defense attorneys are expected to argue for leniency at sentencing, highlighting Percival's professional background and career in disability studies. University listings describe her as an award-winning researcher and author of books on autism who has served on regional and national advisory boards. Messages sent to Percival, her legal counsel, and media relations contacts at Florida Atlantic University were not immediately returned.

Neither court documents nor statements made during the open court proceedings clarify why Percival attempted to claim compensation from the Epstein settlement funds.