Free Republic

A fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List was returned to Florida to face federal charges for her alleged role in a $32 million federal COVID-19 relief fund fraud. Elaine Escoe, 41, was charged by indictment in 2025 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, as well as multiple substantive counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Escoe had been on the run since May 2025 and was captured in Jamaica while living under the fake identity of “Harley Newman.” After being charged, she failed to appear in court and fled. On June 4, the FBI announced...

Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler said Thursday night that her agency has suspended “6,900 Minnesota borrowers” over suspected fraudulent activity regarding COVID-era lending programs. Loeffler said the SBA over the last week reviewed “thousands” of potentially “fraudulent” Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) payouts that were approved in Minnesota. “Today, our agency took action to suspend 6,900 Minnesota borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity. In total, these borrowers were approved for 7,900 PPP and EIDL loans worth approximately $400M,” Loeffler said on social platform X. She said the implicated individuals would be banned from all...