A Florida academic has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting she altered a rejection letter from one Jeffrey Epstein victims compensation program and used it to obtain $750,000 from a separate fund.
Jennifer Percival, 46, entered the plea September 14 in federal court in Manhattan, the same day she was charged. She is the director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and lives in Boca Raton, according to the Associated Press.
Percival had previously applied to the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program established by Epstein’s estate but was found ineligible for an award. She later sought compensation from a separate $290 million fund created through JPMorgan Chase’s settlement with Epstein survivors.
Court records and statements made during the plea proceeding do not establish whether Percival ever met Epstein or was one of his victims. Her wire fraud conviction concerns the false information and documents she admitted submitting to obtain the later payment.
She Changed a Rejection Letter to Look Like an Approval
Percival applied to the estate-backed compensation program in late 2020 and received a letter finding her ineligible. The available court records do not disclose why that claim was denied.
When she applied to the JPMorgan settlement fund in February 2024, Percival falsely claimed that the earlier program had approved her claim and paid her approximately $500,000. She altered the rejection letter to make it appear to support that account.
The second fund relied on the false information and wired Percival $750,000 in May 2024. During her plea hearing before Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang, Percival said the purpose of her actions was to obtain money and that receiving it gave her “a sense of validation.”
She Fabricated More Records After the FBI Confronted Her
The FBI interviewed Percival voluntarily in November 2025 after investigators obtained the authentic version of the earlier compensation decision.
When agents showed her the genuine rejection letter, Percival falsely claimed that she had successfully appealed and later received approval. She subsequently gave a lawyer representing her altered and fabricated emails that were submitted to federal prosecutors while seeking a deferred prosecution agreement.
A prosecutor said evidence available for trial included Percival’s bank records, information obtained through a search warrant for her email account and testimony from an administrator involved with the two compensation programs.
The $750,000 Came From JPMorgan’s Epstein Settlement
The fund Percival defrauded resulted from litigation accusing JPMorgan Chase of failing to act on warning signs involving Epstein while providing him banking services.
JPMorgan agreed in 2023 to pay $290 million to resolve the victims’ claims without admitting liability. JPMorgan’s disclosures state that the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement in June 2023 and final approval that November, with the money paid into a fund for Epstein survivors.
That settlement fund was separate from the earlier program financed by Epstein’s estate, which had already ruled on Percival’s application.
Percival Brought a $776,031 Restitution Check to Court
Percival arrived at her plea hearing with a check for $776,031, the amount she owes in restitution. She told the court that she knew her conduct was wrongful and accepted responsibility.
She was released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond while awaiting sentencing. A sentencing date had not been set when the plea became public.
Her plea agreement calculates an advisory federal sentencing range of 37 to 46 months in prison. The sentencing judge is not required to impose a term within that range.
Settlement Claims Should Use Authentic Supporting Records
People applying to victim compensation or class settlement programs should provide original or accurate copies of documents requested by the administrator. If a prior decision, payment or eligibility determination is relevant to a new claim, it should be described as it actually occurred rather than altered to support eligibility.
Anyone who discovers an error after submitting a claim should contact the settlement administrator or their attorney to correct the record. Creating replacement correspondence, fabricated emails or altered decisions can expose an applicant to criminal liability rather than simply causing a civil claim to be denied.
People contacted about a settlement should also verify that they are dealing with the official court-appointed administrator before providing sensitive personal or financial information. The underlying court case, administrator and filing deadlines can usually be confirmed independently through official settlement or court records.