Elaine Escoe, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, was returned to the Southern District of Florida on July 25 to face federal charges for her alleged role in a scheme that obtained more than $32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Escoe, 41, had been charged by indictment in 2025 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. After failing to appear for a court date and fleeing to Jamaica, she was apprehended by Jamaican authorities following an FBI tip and returned through coordinated efforts involving U.S. and Jamaican agencies.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “This Most Wanted Fraudster allegedly obtained tens of millions in COVID-19 relief, stealing critical resources from legitimate businesses during a national crisis. She fled the country believing she could escape justice, but ultimately could not. Those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be held accountable by this Department of Justice, no matter how long it takes or where they attempt to hide.”
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division said, “Elaine Angene Escoe’s arrest and return to the United States demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of American justice. This Most Wanted Fraudster faces charges stemming from a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief programs. The Fraud Division will continue to vigorously prosecute those who steal from the American people.”
According to court records, Escoe and co-conspirators submitted fraudulent applications seeking over $32 million from various pandemic relief programs such as Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. These applications falsely represented business details in order to qualify for funding; fake tax documents and fabricated bank records were used as supporting evidence. Some loans were sought for businesses controlled by conspirators while others involved third parties who paid substantial kickbacks—sometimes up to half of loan proceeds.
Escoe is the last defendant charged in this case; previous defendants Alfred Davis, Cher Davis, and Latoya Clark were convicted at trial while James McGhow and Gino Jourdan pleaded guilty earlier. Sentences ranged from 42 months up to nearly 20 years’ imprisonment.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida oversees an area spanning about 15,197 square miles across nine counties serving more than seven million residents with branch offices including Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach; it operates under the Department of Justice with approximately 223 assistant attorneys prosecuting federal criminal cases and collecting certain debts, according to the official website.