FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest
Noman Sabit: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a South Florida fugitive now listed among the agency’s most wanted fraud suspects.
Elaine Escoe, a fugitive from the FBI’s Miami Division, has been named to the bureau’s newly created Most Wanted Fraudster list, announced June 4 by Director Kash Patel. She is among the first eight people included on the list, which highlights high-priority suspects accused of major financial crimes. Escoe is wanted for her alleged role in a scheme that fraudulently obtained more than $32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. She faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, concealment of money laundering, and transactional money laundering.
The FBI says Escoe is accused in a sweeping pandemic-era fraud case tied to tens of millions of dollars in relief funding meant for struggling businesses. She has been a focus of federal investigators since at least 2025, when authorities said she was involved in a complex operation targeting government aid programs. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Escoe on May 22, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach. Investigators said she was notified of a scheduled court appearance on June 5, 2025, but failed to appear. She was last seen on June 3, 2025, in Palm Beach County. Escoe is from Palm Beach County and is believed to have ties to Jamaica, according to the FBI.
The FBI’s new Most Wanted Fraudster list — examines cases totaling more than $1 billion in alleged losses — is the bureau’s third official “Most Wanted” list, joining the longstanding Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and the Most Wanted Terrorists list. Officials say the new list reflects an increased focus on large-scale financial crimes, particularly those tied to pandemic relief programs and other government funding.
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