Fintech CEO and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum accused of fraud.

Now Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list has become infamous for the number of contestants accused of fraud. Notable alumni include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javice, Joanna Smith-Griffin, founder of AI startup AllHere Education, and “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. Now, another member of the list has been indicted on federal charges.

Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish national and founder and CEO of fintech startup Kalder, was indicted last week on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The New York-based fintech startup, which uses the tagline “Turn your rewards into (a) revenue engine,” says it can help businesses create and monetize individual rewards programs. The company was founded in 2022 and offers participating businesses the opportunity to earn an ongoing revenue stream through partner affiliate sales, Axios previously reported.

Güven was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year. The magazine writes that Güven’s clients included Godiva, a major chocolate manufacturer, and the International Air Transport Association, a trade organization representing the majority of the world’s airlines. Kalder also claims to have the backing of several prominent VC firms.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that in Kalder’s seed round in April 2024, Güven raised $7 million from more than a dozen investors after presenting a pitch deck filled with false information.

According to the government, Kalder’s presentation materials claimed there were 26 brands “using Kalder” and 53 “live premium” brands. But in many cases, Kalder was only offering heavily discounted pilot programs to those companies, according to officials. The other brands “had no agreements whatsoever with Kalder, not even for free services,” officials said in a news release announcing the indictment. The presentation materials also “falsely reported that Kalder’s recurring revenue had steadily increased each month since February 2023 and that by March 2024, Kalder’s annual recurring revenue had reached $1.2 million.”

The government also accused Güven of keeping two separate sets of financial ledgers. One of the sets contained “false and inflated numbers” and was presented to investors or potential investors to conceal “the true financial condition of the company,” the government alleges. The DOJ also alleges that Güven used lies and forged documents against Kalder to obtain a visa category for individuals of “exceptional ability” that allowed her to live and work in the United States.

TechCrunch reached out to Güven through his personal website. The CEO said he would share a statement about the allegations on Tuesday.