A fake airline heiress has landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after allegedly scamming multiple banks out of nearly $30 million by falsely posing as a family member of a multibillion-dollar aerospace empire.
Mary Carole McDonnell, 74, is wanted for her alleged role in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange counties between July 2017 and May 2018, according to an FBI press release.
Investigators say McDonnell secured millions from Banc of California by presenting herself as an heir to McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation — the former aerospace giant that produced commercial jetliners and military aircraft — and by claiming she would soon gain access to a secret $80 million trust.
The FBI alleges that McDonnell fraudulently obtained roughly $14.7 million from a bank, despite knowing she was not authorized to do so and that she would never repay the funds.
The alleged scammer is also believed to have “defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, with an estimated loss of over $15 million.”
McDonnell is said to have “knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California,” the FBI said.
The suspected con artist is known to have ties in Los Angeles, Montgomery, Ala., and the United Arab Emirates.
McDonnell previously served as CEO of the Burbank-based TV production company Bellum Entertainment LLC from 2004 to 2017.
A federal arrest warrant for McDonnell was issued on Dec. 12, 2018, in the Central District of California after she was charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Bellum Entertainment — which produced programs including “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer” — was investigated by the California Labor Commission in 2017 for allegedly failing to pay wages to dozens of former employees, Deadline previously reported.
The entertainment outlet reported that McDonnell told employees that payroll couldn’t be met due to “significant bank fraud.”
Peter McDonnell, her nephew and Bellum’s vice president for more than a decade, told the outlet that he was unaware of any bank fraud and was owed $10,000 when he left the company.
McDonnell is thought to be living in Dubai after fleeing the country.
She is described as a white female, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 145 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a scar on her right knee.
The FBI has urged anyone with information on McDonnell’s whereabouts to contact their local FBI office or the nearest US embassy or consulate.
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