U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasizes that anyone who exploits taxpayer-funded programs will be held accountable, regardless of time or place.

This report is sourced from WSVN and notes copyright by Sunbeam Television Corp.

A 41-year-old, Elaine Angene Escoe, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list, was arrested in Jamaica and extradited to the United States to face federal charges over a $32 million pandemic relief fraud scheme.

The scheme involved conspirators forging fake tax documents and bank records, with some applications aimed at their own businesses and others for third parties in exchange for kickbacks, with proceeds laundered among participants.

Escoe faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of money laundering in the Southern District of Florida.

The FBI Miami’s West Palm Beach resident agency is leading the ongoing investigation.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones and FBI officials describe the case as part of a wider crackdown on fraud against federal relief programs, noting ongoing investigations and extradition cooperation with Jamaica.

The case ties to the National Fraud Enforcement Division, created in April to pursue fraud involving taxpayer-funded federal benefits, with support from local and federal agencies in Florida.

The FBI highlights the expansion of the National Fraud Enforcement Division and positions this case within a broader federal push to root out fraud in relief programs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office portrays the case as part of a broader crackdown on COVID-19 relief fraud, underscoring accountability for those exploiting taxpayer-funded programs.

Other defendants in the related scheme have already been convicted or pled guilty, with sentences ranging from 42 to 235 months; several co-conspirators, including Alfred Davis, Cher Davis, Latoya Clark, James McGhow, and Gino Jordan, have been sentenced or pleaded guilty.

Escoe is the last remaining defendant in the scheme, with several co-conspirators already convicted or pled guilty and sentenced in a December 2025 trial.