ELAINE ANGENE ESCOE

Caution

Elaine Angene Escoe is wanted for her alleged involvement in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Escoe and her five co-defendants, all of whom have either been found guilty at trial or have pleaded guilty, allegedly submitted more than 90 fraudulent applications for funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) between May of 2020, and November of 2021. The applications contained false information regarding employee counts, payroll expenses, and business revenues. The scheme resulted in the wrongful disbursement of approximately $29.1 million in PPP funds, $1.2 million in RRF funds, and $3.8 million in SVOG funds. After the funds were disbursed, Escoe and others allegedly directed payments to each other and to businesses they controlled, withdrew large sums in cash, and used blank, signed checks to conceal the origin and nature of the proceeds.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Escoe on May 22, 2025, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach, Florida, after she was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Wire Fraud; Concealment Money Laundering, and Transactional Money Laundering.

At the time the arrest warrant was issued, Escoe was notified of her scheduled court appearance on June 5, 2025, but failed to appear. Escoe was last seen on June 3, 2025, in Palm Beach County, Florida.