Fourth “Most Wanted Fraudster” Captured in Five Weeks as FBI Returns Accused $32 Million COVID Relief Swindler to Face Justice
The Institute for Health Policy Accountability (IHPA), an independent authority on key drivers of decision-making in the healthcare space, today praised the Trump Administration for its aggressive pursuit of healthcare fraud, applauding the FBI’s capture and return of Elaine Angene Escoe, an alleged fugitive accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $32 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds.
Escoe, 41, was arrested in Jamaica after fleeing federal charges and living under the fake identity “Harley Newman.” She was returned to South Florida and now faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of money laundering. Her capture marks the fourth alleged “Most Wanted Fraudster” apprehended in just five weeks.
IHPA released the following statement applauding the Trump Administration:
“This administration has made clear that stealing from American taxpayers will not be tolerated, and IHPA applauds the FBI, DOJ, and their law enforcement partners for following through on that promise. The Trump Administration’s relentless pursuit of these criminals, across continents and across years, sends an unmistakable message: there is no safe harbor for healthcare fraud.”
The four suspects captured over the past five weeks are collectively charged with nearly $1.8 billion in fraud and spent more than 3,500 days on the run across three continents before being brought back to face U.S. justice. Escoe’s capture was coordinated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, Jamaican law enforcement, and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
The Institute for Health Policy Accountability is an independent authority on key drivers of decision-making in the health care space. IHPA provides fact-based research and analysis across the public policy landscape, adding a central and currently missing voice to the conversation.
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