Fake aerospace empire heiress, 74, lands on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for defrauding millions from banks
A woman who posed as an heir to a former aerospace empire has found herself on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after allegedly tricking several banks out of almost $30 million. The 74‑year‑old, named Mary Carole McDonnell, is accused of running a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange counties from July 2017 to May 2018, according to a press release from the FBI.
Investigators say McDonnell convinced Banc of California to hand her millions by declaring herself a member of the McDonnell family and claiming she would soon inherit an $80 million trust tied to the ex‑aerospace giant McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation, which made both commercial jetliners and military planes.
The agency alleges she siphoned roughly $14.7 million from a single bank while knowing she had no right to the money and that she never intended to repay it. Authorities also suspect she scammed other financial institutions in a similar manner, with losses exceeding $15 million.
The FBI’s statement describes McDonnell as having “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.” She is said to have ties in Los Angeles, Montgomery, Alabama, and the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to the criminal allegations, McDonnell ran Bellum Entertainment LLC in Burbank from 2004 to 2017, a company that produced shows such as “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer.” In 2017, the California Labor Commission investigated the firm for allegedly not paying wages to dozens of former staff. McDonnell reportedly explained the payroll delays to employees by mentioning “significant bank fraud.”
Peter McDonnell, her nephew and the company’s longtime vice president, told a media outlet that he was unaware of any banking misdeeds and that he was owed $10,000 when he departed the business.
A federal arrest warrant was issued against McDonnell on December 12, 2018 in the Central District of California, charging her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. After allegedly fleeing the United States, she is thought to be residing in Dubai.
The FBI asks anyone who knows where McDonnell might be to contact their local office or the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
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