Charlie Javice is a French and American businesswoman who founded a startup called Frank, which aimed to simplify the financial aid application process for college students. She was convicted of fraud for deceiving JPMorgan Chase by significantly inflating the number of users her company had when JPMorgan acquired Frank for $175 million in 2021. Javice was found guilty of bank fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud. She falsely claimed Frank had over 4 million customers, while the actual number was under 300,000. In September 2025, she was sentenced to more than seven years (85 months) in prison for her role in the fraud. Javice expressed deep regret and asked for forgiveness during her sentencing. The case drew widespread attention, partly due to her previous reputation as a promising young entrepreneur featured in Forbes' "30 under 30" list six years earlier.
