Palm Beach manhunt: Jamaican woman wanted by FBI in $34M COVID relief scam
Key Points(5)
- The <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wcc/elaine-angene-escoe#:~:text=Elaine%20Angene%20Escoe%20is%20wanted,federal%20COVID%2D19%20relief%20funds.">FBI is searching</a> for Elaine Angene Escoe, 40, a Jamaican national wanted for her alleged role in a $34 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
- Escoe, who uses the aliases “Annie” and “Annie Palmer,” was last seen in Palm Beach County, Florida, on June 3, 2025.
- She failed to appear in federal court on June 5 following a May 22 arrest warrant issued by the U.S.
- District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
- The scheme resulted in the wrongful disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in RRF funds, and $3.8 million in SVOG funds.
The FBI is searching for Elaine Angene Escoe, 40, a Jamaican national wanted for her alleged role in a $34 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.
Escoe, who uses the aliases “Annie” and “Annie Palmer,” was last seen in Palm Beach County, Florida, on June 3, 2025. She failed to appear in federal court on June 5 following a May 22 arrest warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
After receiving the funds, Escoe and co-conspirators allegedly routed payments among themselves and to businesses they controlled, withdrew large sums in cash, and used blank, signed checks to conceal the origin of the money.
Escoe faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, concealment of money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
The FBI cautions that Escoe should be considered a flight risk. She is described as 5’4”, 140 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and tattoos on her left wrist, abdomen, back, and right shoulder. She has ties to Southern Florida and Jamaica.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
In the Jamaican context, “Annie Palmer” is often associated with the notorious “Annie Palmer” figure from folklore and popular culture, sometimes linked to criminal or strongwoman archetypes in storytelling.
Authorities allege Escoe and others submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications for federal funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) between May 2020 and November 2021. The scheme resulted in the wrongful disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in RRF funds, and $3.8 million in SVOG funds.
After receiving the funds, Escoe and co-conspirators allegedly routed payments among themselves and to businesses they controlled, withdrew large sums in cash, and used blank, signed checks to conceal the origin of the money.
Escoe faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, concealment of money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
The FBI cautions that Escoe should be considered a flight risk. She is described as 5’4”, 140 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and tattoos on her left wrist, abdomen, back, and right shoulder. She has ties to Southern Florida and Jamaica.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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