Elaine Angene Escoe, 41 years old and originally from Jamaica, has been added to the new “Most Wanted Fugitives” list by the FBI for her alleged involvement in a $34 million fraud scheme against federal COVID-19 relief programs, authorities reported on Monday.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Escoe, a resident of Palm Beach County and one of the first eight individuals to be included in this new category announced by FBI Director Kash Patel.
The list “Most Wanted Fraudsters” was presented last Wednesday, June 4, in Columbus, Ohio, in the presence of Patel and the Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche.
According to Miami Herald, this list becomes the third official category of the FBI, alongside the historic Ten Most Wanted and Most Wanted Terrorists lists. The eight initial cases represent losses ranging from $1.2 million to $1.2 billion.
The scheme: over 90 fraudulent applications
Between May 2020 and November 2021, Escoe and five other co-defendants submitted over 90 fraudulent applications for federal funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and the Grant for Closed Venue Operators.
The applications contained false information about the number of employees, payroll expenses, and company revenues, as well as forged tax documents and bank statements.
The scheme resulted in the improper disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in Restaurant Revitalization Fund funds, and $3.8 million in funds from the Grant for Indoor Event Operators.
After receiving the funds, Escoe and his co-defendants allegedly made payments to each other, withdrew large sums of cash, and used signed blank checks to conceal the source of the money.
The six defendants of the grand jury
A grand jury formally charged six individuals for operating the scheme in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
In the group, in addition to Escoe, are:
-Alfred L. Davis, 51 years old.
-Gino J. Jourdan, 37 years old.
-Cher L. Davis, 53.
-Latoya T. Clark, 39
-James G. McGhow, from 69.
Escoe faces charges of conspiracy to commit electronic fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, electronic fraud, concealment related to money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
Fugitive since June 2025
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Escoe on May 22, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach.
She was last seen in Palm Beach County on June 3, 2025, and was scheduled to appear in court two days later, but she never showed up.
Escoe uses the aliases "Annie" and "Annie Palmer."
South Florida, epicenter of pandemic fraud
The Escoe case was initially linked through the investigation of Andre Lorquet, who used his company Miami ENT to secure $4.4 million in fraudulent pandemic loans, spending over $600,000 on two Teslas, a Lamborghini Urus, and a Porsche Panamera GTS.
In the Lorquet ruling in 2024, federal prosecutor Jonathan Bailyn was emphatic:
"We were in the midst of a pandemic and a national crisis. Many people saw this as an opportunity for charity; this accused saw it as an opportunity for exploitation and theft." Lorquet was sentenced to six years in federal prison.
At the national level, federal prosecutors have brought charges against over 3,200 defendants for stealing more than $1.7 billion from pandemic loan programs.
Southern Florida is the most affected region in the country, with over 250 accused, according to the Department of Justice. Anyone with information about Escoe can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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