Police name three killed in Mandeville shootout as COVID fraud fugitive returned

Police have named the woman and two men fatally shot during an alleged confrontation with officers on Caledonia Road in Mandeville on Saturday afternoon as Lester Morris, Travis Baker and Sutanya Booth, also known as Chun Chun. Two firearms were recovered, police said.

Officers were called about 4:00 p.m. to reports of a robbery spree and later stopped a getaway vehicle near Horseshoe Curve. A senior police source said the occupants opened fire and police returned fire, leading to a prolonged standoff and running gun battle. Morris and Baker were taken from the vehicle and pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. The clash occurred near the scene of last Saturday’s double killing, in which nursing student Danika Pennant and Sadeefa Henry were shot in a taxi by a gunman posing as a passenger.

Separately, a Jamaican woman sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged involvement in a scheme that fraudulently obtained more than US$32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds was returned from Jamaica to the United States on Saturday to face federal charges. Elena Jimenez, also referred to as Esco, was indicted in 2025 on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple substantive counts of wire fraud and money laundering. After a federal arrest warrant was issued in May 2025, she reportedly failed to appear in court and fled to Jamaica. Acting on FBI information and a tip, local authorities detained her. She was returned to South Florida through coordinated efforts by the FBI, the US Marshals Service, the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Regional Security Office at the US Embassy in Kingston, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the JCF Jamaica Fugitive Apprehension Team.

“This most wanted fraudster allegedly obtained tens of millions in COVID-19 relief stealing critical resources from legitimate businesses during a national crisis,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “She fled the country believing she could escape justice but ultimately could not. Those who exploited taxpayer-funded programs will be held accountable by this Department of Justice no matter how long it takes or where they attempted to hide.”

Assistant Attorney General Colin A. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division said her arrest and return show that no one is beyond the reach of American justice, and that the Fraud Division will continue to prosecute those who steal from American taxpayers. FBI Director Kash Patel said Jimenez, on the run since May 2025, was captured in Jamaica while living under the false identity Harley Newman and returned to face justice. He said Esco brings the number of high-value targets returned by the FBI to more than 30 since June.

Court records state that Esco and co-conspirators submitted or caused the submission of fraudulent applications seeking more than US$32 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Shuttered Venue Operators Grant and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programmes, falsely claiming business existence, payroll, revenue and operations. Fake tax documents, bank records and other financial papers were used to back the applications. Some were filed for businesses controlled by the conspirators; others for third parties in exchange for kickbacks of up to 50% of loan proceeds. Proceeds were then laundered among the group. Esco is the last remaining defendant charged in the scheme. After a December 2025 trial, Alfred Davis, Sher Davis and Latoya Clark were convicted by a federal jury. James McColl and Gina Jordan earlier pleaded guilty. Sentences handed down were 235 months for Alfred Davis, 87 months for Sher Davis, 70 months for Clark, 46 months for Jordan and 42 months for McColl.

Meanwhile, the Island Traffic Authority reported that 35 road users died in 31 fatal motor vehicle crashes across Jamaica in June, according to crash figures released on June 24. Fatalities rose 3% and fatal crashes 7% compared with June 2025. St. Ann and St. Catherine each recorded six deaths, the highest totals. Manchester and Trelawny had four each, Westmoreland three, and Hanover, St. James, St. Elizabeth, Kingston and St. Andrew two each. Portland and St. Thomas recorded one each. Clarendon and St. Mary had none. Two children and seven elderly persons were among the dead. Twenty of those killed were passengers. Motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, pedestrians and pillion passengers together accounted for 51% of the month’s fatalities.