A Delaware judge on Monday denied a bid from JPMorgan to wiggle out of $74 million in legal bills from convicted fraudster Charlie Javice — even as fresh details of lavish, bizarre spending emerged in court papers.
Javice and her lawyers spent $530 on gummy bears, more than $3,000 on first-class airline tickets, a $581 dinner that included a $161 seafood tower and $25,800 on hotel upgrades — then billed the costs as part of the staggering legal tab she wants JPMorgan Chase to pay, the bank alleged in court filings.
According to the filings, the expenses included a $284 car ride covering just half a mile. Lawyers also billed “copious amounts of alcohol,” including cocktails and wine, as well as personal care items such as cellulite butter.
The bank also flagged expenses incurred by attorneys themselves. In one instance, a law firm partner expensed a hotel stay in New York City to JPMorgan despite listing New York as his home office.
In November 2024, a Quinn Emanuel attorney based in Miami billed a two-day stay at a Florida hotel located roughly 20 minutes from her own office. Defense attorney José Baez sought reimbursement for a $13.57 Spotify charge and a $75 suitcase purchased at City Souvenirs USA.
Javice, the 33-year-old Westchester County native who was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan out of $175 million in the sale of her fintech startup Frank, is fighting to keep the nation’s largest bank on the hook for her legal defense.
JPMorgan asked a Delaware court to overturn an earlier ruling that requires it to advance legal fees for Javice and her co-conspirator, Olivier Amar, who was also convicted of conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud.
In filings, JPMorgan accused the pair of treating the court-ordered fee arrangement as a “blank check,” citing expenses it says have no reasonable connection to a criminal defense.
The bank previously disclosed that Javice’s legal bills included personal items and luxury charges, including hotel stays and beauty products such as cellulite butter that were later classified as reimbursable legal expenses.
“This is the latest example of how the legal fees sought by Javice and Amar have been beyond patently excessive and egregious,” a JPMorgan spokesperson told The Post.
But a judge ruled on Monday that JPMorgan’s emergency motion which sought immediate remedy was denied.
Instead, the bank will have to put an undisclosed sum of money earmarked for Javice’s defense into escrow before an appeal could be heard after the new year.
Javice and Amar are both appealing their convictions.
“Maybe they should stop focusing on this, adhere to their contract and just manage their internal damage rather than making this more of a public display,” a spokesperson for Javice told The Post after news of the judge’s ruling became public on Monday.
A JPMorgan spokesperson declined to comment on the ruling.
As of Monday, the combined defense bills for Javice and Amar exceed $115 million, according to the bank. JPMorgan has said the total could climb substantially higher as appeals move forward.
The list of items was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. A JPMorgan spokesperson confirmed the veracity of the Journal’s reporting when reached by The Post late Monday afternoon.
Other alleged expenses included a pet hair roller, laptop privacy screens, stain remover, allergy and cold medication, nutritional supplements, a tea strainer, face masks, a coffee maker, lamps, a kettle and batteries.
Additional items billed included a Cookie Monster toddler toy, lavender- and jasmine-scented sachets, glue, a plastic cup and transportation to the American Museum of Natural History on a Sunday, as well as transportation to dinner following a walk across Central Park.
The Post has sought comment from the five law firms which took part in Javice’s defense, including Quinn Emanuel; Baez Law; Mintz; the attorney Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr; and Shapiro Arato Bach.
“None of these were Charlie’s expenses,” a spokesperson for Javice told The Post. “They were not taken by Charlie, used by her or approved by her.”
The rep for Javice accused JP Morgan of “trying to walk away from its contractual obligation to pay” her legal bill.
“Now, it is attempting to manufacture distractions by highlighting a handful of attorney expenses (neither incurred nor authorized by Ms. Javice) over two years, the vast majority of which it already reviewed and paid or are not disputed.”
Amar was not immediately available for comment.
