The glamor surrounding the Miss Universe crown cracked this week, replaced by court rulings, arrest warrants, and unanswered questions.
Jakkapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, the founder of JKN Global Group and co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, has been sentenced to two years in prison without suspension after being found guilty of fraud tied to a corporate bond investment worth roughly $951,927, according to reporting by the Bangkok Post.
The sentence was handed down Friday, Dec. 26, by the Bangkok South Kwaeng Court. Jakrajutatip did not appear in court for the ruling and is now considered at large. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
The case stems from a criminal complaint filed by Raveewat Maschamadol, a plastic surgeon who accused Jakrajutatip and JKN Global Group Plc of jointly committing fraud. Prosecutors alleged that between July 24 and Aug. 8, 2023, Jakrajutatip knowingly presented false information and concealed the company’s financial distress to persuade the plaintiff to invest in corporate bonds issued by JKN.
According to the court, the defendants were aware the company was facing serious financial difficulties and would not be able to repay the investment, yet proceeded anyway. The scheme allegedly resulted in assets worth 30 million baht being obtained from the plaintiff, causing significant financial damage.
Jakrajutatip was initially charged with fraud in 2023 and released on bail. She later failed to appear for court proceedings in Bangkok, prompting authorities to deem her a flight risk, according to statements from Thailand’s Courts of Justice.
Local media reports in late November suggested Jakrajutatip may have fled to Mexico. The timing raised eyebrows: those reports surfaced around the same period Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe 2025 at a Nov. 20 ceremony held in Bangkok.
Mayor Helmin Caba gives Hernandez a plaque, a glass star, to commemorate ‘The Star of Perth Amboy’ and the first-ever Miss Universe Latina. She will compete in the Miss Universe Pageant in November.
The sentencing adds to a widening legal cloud hanging over the Miss Universe Organization’s ownership. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that Mexican bank accounts belonging to Raúl Rocha, the president and co-owner of Miss Universe, were frozen by Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit as part of a criminal investigation.
Rocha has been under investigation by Mexican federal prosecutors since November 2024 on suspicion of organized crime activity, including alleged fuel theft, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. He has not been convicted, and the investigation remains ongoing.
