Overview
- Federal authorities say 41-year-old Elaine Angene Escoe was located in Jamaica living under the alias "Harley Newman" and flown back to the Southern District of Florida to await federal proceedings.
- Escoe was indicted in 2025 on counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple substantive wire fraud and money‑laundering charges.
- Prosecutors allege she and co-conspirators submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications across PPP, RRF, SVOG and EIDL programs that resulted in over $32 million in disbursements using fabricated tax and bank records.
- U.S. officials say the arrest was carried out through a coordinated operation by the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and Jamaican law enforcement and follows the launch of a new fraud enforcement push.
- Escoe is the last defendant remaining in the case after several co-defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted and sentenced, and her return lets prosecutors move forward with final court proceedings and asset tracing efforts.