Miami woman Elaine Angene Escoe returned to US after arrest in Jamaica over alleged $32 million COVID-19 fraud scheme
FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ suspect faces multiple federal charges after months as an international fugitive.
A South Florida woman accused of orchestrating a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme has been returned to the United States after being arrested in Jamaica. Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, was taken into custody following an international manhunt and now faces federal charges linked to an alleged $32 million scheme involving fraudulent pandemic relief funds.
According to federal authorities, Escoe was indicted in 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud and transactional money laundering. Prosecutors allege she fled the United States after failing to appear in federal court and had been living in Jamaica under the alias ‘Harley Newman’ before authorities tracked her down.
The FBI added Escoe to its ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list earlier this year, offering a reward for information leading to her arrest. Officials say her capture underscores the agency’s continued efforts to pursue pandemic-related fraud suspects worldwide and recover taxpayer funds.
