The U.S. Department of Justice, through the FBI, has announced a reward of up to $150,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Elaine Angene Escoe. This South Florida woman disappeared before appearing in federal court on June 7, 2025, after being charged with participating in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $34 million in federal pandemic aid funds.
Disappearance and Active Search
<Escoe, 41, was added to the FBI's new "Most Wanted Fraudsters" list for priority financial criminals. According to the official report, a federal arrest warrant was issued on May 22, 2025. Authorities indicate that Escoe was last seen in Palm Beach County on June 3, 2025, and did not appear at the scheduled hearing two days later.
The FBI profile identifies Escoe as a Jamaican nationalist, also known by the aliases "Annie" and "Annie Palmer," and classifies her as a flight risk. The public is asked to contact the local FBI office or call 1-800-CALL-FBI if they have relevant information.
Details of the Fraudulent Scheme
Federal charges detail an alleged plan to submit more than 90 fraudulent applications between May 2020 and November 2021. These forms targeted key pandemic relief programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Disaster Loans, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and the Closed Venue Operators Grant.
Authorities allege that the applications included false information regarding employee counts, payroll expenses, and business income. To support these requests, allegedly falsified tax documents and fabricated bank statements were used. The result was improper disbursements of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million from the Revitalization Fund, and $3.8 million from the Closed Operators Grant.
Legal Consequences
Escoe faces federal charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, wire fraud, concealment of laundered money, and transactional money laundering. After the distribution of funds, it is alleged that Escoe and others directed payments among themselves and toward businesses they controlled, in addition to withdrawing large sums of cash and using blank-signed checks to hide the origin of the funds.
It is important to note that these charges are allegations and the presumption of innocence remains until a judicial conviction. Potential penalties depend on federal sentencing guidelines and the trial record or plea agreement, but may include lengthy periods of federal prison time.
