Elaine Angene Escoe, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, has been returned to the United States from Jamaica. She was captured while living under the alias “Harley Newman” to avoid charges related to a $32 million pandemic relief fraud scheme.
Escoe, 41, was brought back to South Florida following her arrest by Jamaican authorities. Prosecutors allege she was involved in illegally obtaining more than $32 million from taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds. She left the country after failing to appear in federal court.
In 2025, Escoe was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple money laundering charges. The arrest warrant was issued when she missed her court date in May 2025.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “Elaine Angene Escoe’s arrest and return to the United States demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of American justice.” He emphasized the commitment of the Justice Department to prosecute those misusing taxpayer funds.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted this as another achievement in the crackdown on international fraud. Escoe is the fourth individual from the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list apprehended in recent weeks.
Patel confirmed Escoe’s charges involve conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, linked to the fraudulent acquisition of over $32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. He shared that over 30 high-value targets have been returned to the U.S. since June, with four recent arrests connected to nearly $1.8 billion in fraud across three continents.
The coordinated effort to bring Escoe back involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, Jamaican authorities, and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.