Jennifer Percival, a 46-year-old Florida resident, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court on Monday, September 14, 2026, to falsifying records used to obtain money from a victim compensation fund. Percival admitted to misrepresenting her eligibility to a fund established by JPMorgan Chase for individuals sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein. According to court records, the bank’s fund wired Percival $750,000 in 2024 based on these fraudulent claims.
The case involves two separate compensation funds. Percival first applied in late 2020 to a fund established by Epstein’s estate following his death in custody. That fund deemed her ineligible for payment. In 2024, she applied to a second fund created by JPMorgan Chase as part of a $290 million settlement regarding the bank’s past business relationship with Epstein. Prosecutors stated that Percival altered her initial rejection letter from the estate fund to make it appear she had been approved for $500,000, which she then used to support her application to the bank's fund.
Percival, who serves as the director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, told a magistrate judge that her actions were intended to obtain money and a sense of validation. During an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in late 2025, Percival said she told agents she had successfully appealed her initial rejection and provided fabricated emails to her attorney to support this claim. At her plea hearing, she provided a check for $776,031 to cover the required restitution.
The case involves a single payment of $750,000, which Percival has now repaid in full as part of her $776,031 restitution. For a university administrator and researcher, the legal consequences include a recommended prison sentence of three to four years under federal guidelines, though the final determination rests with the judge. The defendant has been released from custody pending her sentencing hearing.
The sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Percival’s defense is expected to seek leniency based on her professional contributions to disability studies and her work with national advisory boards. While Percival has pleaded guilty to falsifying records, prosecutors have not reached a public conclusion regarding whether or not she was a victim of Epstein. The court will consider the plea agreement and the federal sentencing guidelines before issuing a final judgment.