FBI's most wanted alleged fraudster returned to US after Jamaica arrest

A woman who appeared on the FBI's "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list has been arrested in Jamaica and returned to the United States to face federal charges over her alleged role in a US$32 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.

Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, arrived in South Florida on Thursday after Jamaican authorities arrested her following a federal manhunt. Prosecutors allege she fled to Jamaica after failing to appear in federal court in May 2025 and lived under the alias "Harley Newman" while evading authorities.

Escoe faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering and transactional money laundering.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, Escoe and several co-defendants allegedly submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications between May 2020 and November 2021 for funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programme, Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG).

Federal investigators allege the applications contained false information about employee numbers, payroll expenses and business revenues.

Authorities say the scheme resulted in the fraudulent disbursement of approximately US$29.1 million in PPP funds, US$1.2 million in RRF funds and US$3.8 million in SVOG funds.

After receiving the funds, Escoe and her alleged co-conspirators are accused of directing payments to one another and to businesses they controlled, withdrawing large sums of cash and using blank signed cheques to conceal the source and nature of the proceeds. Prosecutors also allege some fraudulent applications were submitted on behalf of third parties in exchange for kickbacks of up to 50 per cent of the loan proceeds.

The FBI had offered a reward of up to US$150,000 for information leading to Escoe's arrest and conviction.

According to federal investigators, Jamaican authorities arrested Escoe after acting on information developed by the FBI and following up on a tip. Her return to the United States was coordinated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the US Marshals Service, the US State Department, Jamaican law enforcement authorities and the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office.

Escoe was one of the first eight fugitives named to the FBI's "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list, which FBI Director Kash Patel announced in June.

Patel said Escoe is the fourth alleged fugitive on the list to be captured in the past five weeks.

"The historic success of the 'Most Wanted Fraudster' list continues as the FBI and our partners just captured our fourth Most Wanted Fraudster in five weeks, and yet another high-value target returned to the US by this FBI," Patel said. "Elaine Angene Escoe, on the run since May 2025, was captured in Jamaica while living under a fake identity of 'Harley Newman' and returned to the United States today to face justice."

Patel added that the four alleged fraud suspects captured over the past five weeks are collectively accused of nearly US$1.8 billion in fraud after spending more than 3,500 days on the run across three continents.

Escoe was the final defendant charged in the alleged scheme.

Following a 2025 trial, Alfred Davis, Cher Davis and Latoya Clark were convicted by a federal jury, while James McGhow and Gino Jourdan previously pleaded guilty.

Alfred Davis was sentenced to 235 months in prison, Cher Davis to 87 months, Clark to 70 months, Jourdan to 46 months and McGhow to 42 months. Escoe is expected to make her initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida.