Woman Accused Of Posing As Aircraft Heiress To Steal $14.7 Million Fortune

The FBI is searching for Mary Carole McDonnell, a 73-year-old woman from Michigan, who is accused of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme in Southern California. According to the FBI, McDonnell is wanted on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for activities that took place in Los Angeles and Orange counties between July 2017 and May 2018.

McDonnell, who is on the FBI's Most Wanted list, allegedly posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family, claiming she would gain access to an $80 million secret trust. This deception reportedly allowed her to obtain approximately $14.7 million from the Banc of California, which she did not repay. The FBI also reports that she used similar tactics to defraud other financial institutions of over $15 million.

Previously, McDonnell served as the CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a production company based in Burbank. The company was investigated by the California Labor Commission in 2017 for alleged nonpayment of wages to former employees.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell on December 12, 2018, by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Investigators believe McDonnell may currently be in Dubai.

The FBI describes McDonnell as a white female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a scar on her right knee. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is encouraged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.