The head of an education technology startup that created a highly touted chatbot for the Los Angeles school system has been arrested and charged with fraud. Federal prosecutors, in an indictment unsealed Tuesday, accused Joanna Smith-Griffin of defrauding investors and charged her with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
AllHere is now in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, its employees have been laid off, and the company is under the control of a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Authorities said Smith-Griffin was arrested Tuesday in North Carolina and was set to appear before a magistrate judge. According to the indictment, from about November 2020 to around June 2024, Smith-Griffin misrepresented AllHere’s revenue, customer base and cash to investors.