26-year-old Turkish entrepreneur Gökçe Güven has been arrested in the United States on charges of defrauding investors out of $7 million and obtaining an “extraordinary ability” visa using falsified documents. An indictment has been filed against Güven as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Güven gained attention with her startup Kalder, which was notable enough to earn her a spot on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” list for 2025. The indictment outlines serious allegations against her, including securities fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to prosecutors, Güven engaged in a systematic scheme to deceive while raising funds for Kalder, which she marketed as a “fintech-marketing platform.” She allegedly provided potential investors with fabricated financial information and paraded major brands, with whom she had no actual agreements, as “active customers.”
The prosecution also claims Güven maintained a “double entry” accounting system, keeping a legitimate internal accounting record while presenting investors with a second set of inflated figures in a “fake ledger.” Through this deceptive method, Güven is accused of causing significant financial harm to numerous investors, amounting to nearly $7 million.
In addition to financial fraud, Güven faces accusations regarding her visa application. After her student visa expired, she allegedly sought to remain in the U.S. by applying for the O-1A visa, designated for individuals with extraordinary achievements in science, business, or sports. Prosecutors claim she forged reference letters by mimicking the signatures of well-known business figures to gain this visa unjustly.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton made a strong statement regarding the case, declaring, “Gökçe Güven built her seed funding round on fabricated income and fictional documents. Stay alert for fraud hidden behind the mask of entrepreneurship.”
Güven faces a challenging legal process ahead. If found guilty, she could be sentenced to approximately 52 years in prison, with potential penalties including up to 40 years for securities and electronic fraud, 10 years for visa fraud, and an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Her case will be presided over by District Judge Lewis Kaplan, known for overseeing high-profile cases, including that of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.