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Frank Founder Charlie Javice Faces Trial Over Alleged $175M JPMorgan Fraud

Prosecutors accuse Javice of inflating user numbers to secure a lucrative acquisition deal, while her defense claims JPMorgan acted out of buyer's remorse.

Charlie Javice arrives, for her pretrial conference appearance in a criminal trial on charges of defrauding JPMorgan Chase & Co., at Manhattan federal court in New York City, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
FILE - Charlie Javice leaves Federal Court, Aug. 23, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A jury has been selected in the trial of Charlie Javice
Charlie Javice arrives at Manhattan federal court in New York City on June 6, 2023.

Overview

  • Charlie Javice, founder of the student aid startup Frank, is on trial in Manhattan for allegedly defrauding JPMorgan Chase in a $175 million acquisition deal.
  • Prosecutors argue that Javice fabricated data to falsely claim Frank had over 4 million users, while the actual number was closer to 400,000.
  • Javice's defense team contends that the fraud allegations stem from JPMorgan's buyer's remorse after regulatory changes diminished the deal's value.
  • The trial, expected to last four weeks, could result in significant prison time for Javice and former Frank executive Olivier Amar if convicted of charges including bank and wire fraud.
  • Jury selection was completed after extensive questioning, and opening statements have emphasized the conflicting narratives between the prosecution and defense.