NEW YORK (AP) Jennifer Percival, a Florida woman who fraudulently claimed compensation from a fund for victims of Jeffrey Epstein, has pleaded guilty to falsifying records in her application. This plea was entered in federal court in New York on Monday, along with her charges related to the fraudulent application. A transcript from the court proceedings was made available on Wednesday.
Percival, 46, did not address the court regarding her alleged victimization by Epstein, and prosecutors did not clarify whether she was officially considered one of his victims. In late 2020, she applied for compensation from a fund established by Epstein's estate after his death while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. However, Percival was deemed ineligible for the payout, although the specific reasons for her rejection were not disclosed in court records.
In 2024, Percival submitted a new application to a separate fund created by JPMorgan Chase, which was established to provide $290 million in settlements for Epstein's victims. In supporting her claim, she falsely stated that the Epstein estate fund had approved her compensation and had paid her $500,000. To substantiate this, she presented a falsified rejection letter, altered to appear as though it constituted an approval.
During the court hearing, Percival admitted, "The purpose of these actions was to obtain money, which gave me a sense of validation." As a result of her fraudulent application, she received $750,000 from the bank's compensation fund in 2024. However, the FBI launched an investigation into her activities shortly thereafter.
When confronted by FBI agents in late 2025 with the legitimate rejection letter from the Epstein estate fund, Percival falsely claimed that she had successfully appealed the decision and was subsequently deemed eligible for compensation. Additionally, she provided her attorney at the time with altered and fabricated email correspondence, which was submitted to a federal prosecutor as part of a request for a deferred prosecution agreement.
Upon her plea, Percival expressed remorse, stating, "I know that my actions were wrongful, and I accept full responsibility." At the hearing, she presented a check for $776,031, the amount she owes in restitution. No sentencing date has been set, but federal sentencing guidelines suggest she could face three to four years of imprisonment, though a judge is not obligated to follow these recommendations. Following the hearing, Percival was released while awaiting her sentencing.
Percival serves as the director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and resides in Boca Raton. Communications sent to Percival, her lawyer, the autism center, and media contacts at Florida Atlantic University have not received immediate responses.
Neither the court records nor the proceedings provided clear reasons for Percival's assertion regarding her entitlement to Epstein settlement funds. A prosecutor indicated that evidence intended for trial would encompass Percival's bank records, search warrant results related to her email, and testimonies from administrators of the two Epstein settlement funds, highlighting the gravity of the allegations against her.
