Academic admits using fake Jeffrey Epstein fund letter to claim $750,000 settlement

A Florida academic has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting she altered a rejection letter from a Jeffrey Epstein victims compensation programme to obtain $750,000 from another fund.

According to the Associated Press, Jennifer Percival, 46, entered the plea on September 14 in federal court in Manhattan.

Percival, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, had applied to the Epstein Victims' Compensation Program in 2020 but was found ineligible.

She later applied to a separate $290 million fund created through JPMorgan Chase's 2023 settlement with Epstein survivors.

Prosecutors said Percival falsely claimed the earlier programme had approved her application and paid her about $500,000. She also altered the rejection letter to support the claim.

The JPMorgan settlement fund relied on the information and transferred Percival $750,000 in May 2024.

During her plea hearing, Percival said receiving the money gave her "a sense of validation."

Court records do not establish whether Percival ever met Epstein or was one of his victims. Her conviction relates to the false documents and information used to obtain the payment.

Percival brought a $776,031 restitution cheque to court and was released on a $50,000 personal recognisance bond pending sentencing.

Her plea agreement calculates an advisory prison range of 37 to 46 months.