When the U.S. government rolled out billions in relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t take long for scammers to circle. Federal prosecutors say Elaine Escoe and five co-defendants—Alfred Davis, Cher Davis, Gino Jourdan, Latoya Clark, and James McGhow—saw an opportunity, and they pounced.

According to a federal indictment, the group conspired to defraud COVID-relief programs meant to keep businesses afloat, pocketing funds for themselves and then laundering the proceeds through a maze of accounts they owned and controlled. The charges? Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and multiple counts of Money Laundering—each carrying sentences of up to 20 years in prison and steep fines.

This is the story of stolen relief, a high-stakes scheme unraveled in court, and the heavy price of turning a pandemic into profit.

This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.

Ronald Watson had many names—Emily Smith among them—but no fixed address. What he did have, according to federal prosecutors, was a violent streak and a trail of evidence. In July 2020, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Atlanta went up in flames, leaving more than $78,000 in damages. Investigators say Watson was at the center of it all.

The break in the case came two years later, when DNA from blood found on a lighter fluid bottle at the scene matched Watson after an unrelated arrest in Oregon. Now wanted by the FBI, Watson faces federal charges of arson and destruction of government property. With multiple aliases, ties to both Atlanta and Portland, and a $10,000 reward on his head, he remains on the run.

This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.

Gregorian Bivolaru called himself a spiritual teacher—a tantric yoga master promising enlightenment. But behind the incense and mantras lay a far darker story. Accused of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and psychological manipulation, Bivolaru allegedly used his Atman Yoga Federation—also known as MISA—as a front to control, exploit, and abuse followers across Europe.

From Romania to France, Finland to Denmark, investigators uncovered disturbing accounts of coercion, indoctrination, and exploitation disguised as “spiritual practice.” Already convicted in his home country and a wanted fugitive by Interpol under international arrest warrants, Bivolaru managed to evade justice for years—until a police operation in Paris finally caught up with him.

This is the story of a guru who built an empire on control, a cult that blurred the line between faith and fraud, and the victims who found the courage to speak out.

This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.