Who is Charlie Javice: Here's everything about startup star turned convicted felon

Charlie Javice was sentenced to more than seven years of imprisonment in federal prison after a jury found her guilty of involving JP Morgan Chase in its $175 million acquisition of her company, Frank, a startup that was launched to help college students to smooth the financial aid process for millions of students.

As a teenager, she had already begun pitching her projects to investors, and by her mid-20s, she had founded companies that made her mark on the entrepreneurial landscape of America.

But what was considered her strength ultimately led to the most notorious fraud cases in the history of the Wall Street Journal.

Charlie Javice was born and raised in Westchester County, New York, on March 14, 1993. She hails from a French-Jewish family; her father had worked in finance at an investment fund, while her mother shifted from a career in teaching to working as a life coach.

Javice studied at the French-American School of New York, a bilingual private institution, before she got admission at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

She completed her graduation in 2013 with a degree in finance and legal studies and completed her coursework within three years.

Javice had a deep passion for entrepreneurial initiatives way back before she went for university education.

At age 17, she launched PoverUp, a platform that was aimed at helping students set up microfinance clubs and learn about global development. Javice quickly gained recognition among New York’s startup community.

When Attorney Howard Finkelstein first met her at the time, he was struck by her ability to engage with people despite her youth.

He said once in an interview with Fortune, “She could start conversations with anyone and continue endlessly and wanted to change the world.”

During her second year, Javice already started looking at new ways to influence large-scale issues, ultimately shifting her focus toward student loans and financial aid.

In September 2021, JPMorgan Chase announced it was buying Frank for $175 million. For JPMorgan, the acquisition promised access to millions of young customers who could be introduced to the bank’s suite of products.

Javice was appointed a managing director at JPMorgan following the deal, tasked with building out student-focused services at Chase.

But just after one year of her appointment, JPMorgan filed a lawsuit in 2022, accusing her of fraud.

She responded with a lawsuit of her own, alleging she was being unfairly blamed for the bank’s own negligence. However, this defensive move failed to protect her.

In April 2023, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged her with securities fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy.

Charlie Javice's trial began in February in Manhattan federal court.

Over six weeks, prosecutors tabled evidence that she intentionally misled JPMorgan with false user data.

The prosecution argued in the court that Javice’s scheme amounted to nothing more than selling “$175 million worth of lies.”

On March 28, 2025, Javice and Amar were both convicted on all counts. And on September 30, 2025, Judge Alvin Hellerstein sentenced Javice to 85 months of imprisonment in federal prison.

The federal judge remarked, “I am punishing her conduct and not JPMorgan’s stupidity.”

What was once hailed as a success story now ends in a seven-year sentence that reveals a concerning trend of startup founders misrepresenting their businesses.