A former true crime television producer has landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list after allegedly posing as a wealthy heiress to defraud banks.
Mary Carole McDonnell, 75, was added to the list on Oct. 14 after the FBI accused her of allegedly taking millions of dollars from banks by claiming to be an heiress connected to the McDonnell aircraft family.
How Did Mary Carole McDonnell Allegedly Pull Off Her Con?
McDonnell, who previously led Bellum Entertainment, allegedly told financial institutions that her supposed family ties gave her access to an “$80 million secret trust,” authorities said.
“From July 2017 to May 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by a California bank,” the FBI said. Investigators allege that she fraudulently received approximately $14.7 million from the bank, despite knowing she was not entitled to the money, and has not repaid it.
Authorities also allege that McDonnell used a similar scheme against other financial institutions. According to the FBI’s Most Wanted poster, the total estimated loss exceeds $15 million.
As Bellum Entertainment’s CEO, McDonnell produced true crime reality shows including It Takes a Killer and Corrupt Crimes. The company later folded after accumulating more than $1 million in debt to creditors, according to Deadline.
“This woman was a Hollywood executive specializing in true crime content and allegedly crossed over into actual true crime,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Kent told the outlet. “She conned her victims into believing she was an old money heiress when in reality she was a common thief.”
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FBI Offers Reward For Information on Wanted Fugitive Mary Carole McDonnell
A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in December 2018 on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. She has remained a fugitive and avoided capture ever since.
“Most Wanted Fraudster Mary McDonnell is wanted for defrauding financial institutions out of millions and is known to have falsified her inheritance and background,” Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said. “It’s just a matter of time before McDonnell is caught as we work with our international partners to locate her.”
Grandy said the FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to McDonnell’s arrest and conviction.
Investigators believe McDonnell may be living in Dubai. She is also known by the aliases Mary Carole Carroll and Mary Carroll McDonnell.
If she is captured and convicted, McDonnell could face a sentence of up to 154 years in prison.
McDonnell is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. The FBI describes her as having blonde hair, blue eyes and a scar on her right knee.
Anyone with information about the case should contact the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.