FBI ‘Most Wanted’ fraud suspect arrested in Jamaica over alleged $32M COVID-19 relief scheme
By Brittany Miller, Fox News
Published July 25, 2026, 8:46 p.m. ET
One of the FBI’s most wanted alleged COVID-19 fraud fugitives has been returned to the United States after authorities captured her in Jamaica, where FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital she had been living under the fake identity “Harley Newman” while evading charges tied to a $32 million pandemic relief fraud scheme.
Elaine Angene Escoe, 41, arrived back in South Florida Thursday after Jamaican authorities arrested her following a federal manhunt.
Prosecutors allege she helped fraudulently obtain more than $32 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds before fleeing the country after failing to appear in federal court.
Escoe was indicted in 2025 on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple counts of money laundering, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/world-news/fbi-most-wanted-fraud-suspect-arrested-in-jamaica-over-alleged-32m-covid-19-relief-scheme/
