A South Florida woman wanted for her alleged role in a $34 million COVID-19 relief funds fraud scheme has made the FBI’s new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, authorities said.
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There is a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of 41-year-old Elaine Angene Escoe, the FBI said.
Escoe is one of the first eight fugitives to make the new list announced by FBI Director Kash Patel last week.
Escoe was last seen in Palm Beach County on June 3, 2025, and had been scheduled for an appearance in court two days later but never showed up, officials said. A federal arrest warrant had been issued for her on May 22, 2025.
Escoe and others allegedly submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications for funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant between May of 2020 and November of 2021, officials said.
The applications allegedly contained false information regarding employee counts, payroll expenses, and business revenues.
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The scheme resulted in the wrongful disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in RRF funds, and $3.8 million in SVOG funds.
After the funds were disbursed, Escoe and others allegedly directed payments to each other and to businesses they controlled, withdrew large sums in cash, and used blank, signed checks to conceal the origin and nature of the proceeds.
Escoe faces multiple charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, concealment of money laundering and transactional money laundering.
Escoe is from Jamaica and has aliases of “Annie” and “Annie Palmer,” officials said.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.