A woman accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $32 million in COVID-19 relief funds has been arrested in Jamaica and returned to the United States to face federal charges, the FBI said.
Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, who had been on the run since May 2025, was captured while allegedly living in Jamaica under a fake identity, “Harley Newman.” She was later extradited to South Florida, where she will face charges related to a large-scale pandemic relief fraud scheme.
Escoe faces multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment of money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
According to federal investigators, Escoe and her alleged associates submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications between May 2020 and November 2021 for funds from several US COVID-19 assistance programmes, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.
The FBI said Jamaican authorities arrested Escoe after receiving information developed by the agency. The FBI had announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to her arrest and conviction.
Escoe was among the first eight fugitives named on the FBI’s newly launched “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list. FBI Director Kash Patel said her capture marked the fourth successful apprehension from the list within five weeks.
Officials said Escoe was last seen in Palm Beach County on June 3, 2025, and failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing two days later. A federal arrest warrant had been issued for her on May 22, 2025.
