The FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudster Is Captured

A woman accused of stealing more than $32 million meant for struggling small businesses during COVID-19 tried to disappear to Jamaica under a fake name — and got caught.

Quick Take

Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, was captured in Jamaica and returned to the Southern District of Florida to face federal fraud charges.
She allegedly helped steal more than $32 million from pandemic relief programs meant to help small businesses survive lockdowns.
FBI Director Kash Patel says she was hiding under the fake name “Harley Newman” while dodging federal charges.
Five co-defendants already pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial before she was caught.
The FBI had offered a $150,000 reward and placed her on its new Most Wanted Fraudsters list.

A Fugitive Caught After Skipping Court

A federal arrest warrant went out for Escoe on May 22, 2025, after she was told to appear in court on June 5, 2025, and never showed up. Instead of facing the charges against her, prosecutors say she ran. She fled to Jamaica, where authorities eventually tracked her down and took her into custody after receiving a tip.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that Escoe had been living under a completely made-up identity, calling herself “Harley Newman” while evading justice. Investigators also say she used the aliases “Annie” and “Annie Palmer” before her capture, adding another layer to a case built on deception from the start.

A $32 Million Scheme Targeting Pandemic Aid

Prosecutors allege Escoe and her co-defendants filed fake applications seeking more than $32 million through four separate COVID-19 relief programs: the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. These programs existed to keep real businesses and workers afloat during government-ordered shutdowns, not to line the pockets of fraudsters gaming the system.

Investigators say the applications included false employee counts, phony payroll numbers, and inflated business revenue figures designed to trick the government into cutting bigger checks. This is exactly the kind of waste that conservatives warned about when Washington rushed trillions of taxpayer dollars out the door with little oversight during the pandemic. Fast money with weak verification became an open invitation for criminals.

Some outlets have reported the total loss at $34 million instead of $32 million, and others simply say “over $30 million”. That inconsistency doesn’t change the core allegation, but it’s a reminder that full details will only be nailed down once the indictment and trial record are fully public.

Case Closes In as Co-Defendants Already Convicted

Escoe wasn’t operating alone, according to federal investigators. Her five co-defendants have already either pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial, giving prosecutors a head start in building the broader case against her before she was ever caught. That track record suggests the government’s case has already survived scrutiny in front of a jury or through admitted guilt, not just accusation.

Escoe was named to the FBI’s brand-new Most Wanted Fraudsters list, one of the first eight fugitives added when the bureau launched the initiative. The FBI backed up the listing with a $150,000 reward for information leading to her capture and conviction, a sign of how seriously the bureau is now treating large-scale pandemic fraud under the current leadership.

FBI MIAMI CASE UPDATE: FBI Special Agents return with Most Wanted Fraudster Elaine Angene Escoe from Jamaica. This is another example, in a series of examples, of the FBI’s resolve to bring financial fraudsters to justice. Elaine Angene Escoe was wanted for her alleged… pic.twitter.com/by2a9sYAKz

— FBI Miami (@FBIMiamiFL) July 25, 2026

Her capture marks a win for an FBI pushing harder to claw back stolen pandemic funds and hold fraudsters accountable, rather than letting them vanish overseas. Townhall reported it was the bureau’s fourth Most Wanted Fraudsters capture in just five weeks, suggesting a real crackdown is underway rather than a one-off headline. For taxpayers who watched trillions get spent in the name of pandemic relief, seeing alleged thieves dragged back to face a judge is a small but real measure of accountability.

Escoe now faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering back in the Southern District of Florida, where the case originated. The full indictment, court docket, and extradition paperwork have not yet been made public in detail, so exact charges and evidence will become clearer as the case moves forward.