Woman posed as heiress and defrauded nearly $30 million from banks and institutions, FBI says
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Dec 10, 2025, 02:25 IST
Woman posed as heiress and defrauded nearly $30 million from banks and institutions, FBI says
Federal authorities want a Michigan woman for allegedly posing as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family and defrauding banks and financial institutions of nearly 30 million dollars between 2017 and 2018, according to an FBI bulletin and a federal indictment.
TL;DR
FBI is after Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, who allegedly fabricated her net worth, made up a trust story, and embezzled nearly $30 million from banks during the time her company was undergoing a crisis in the entertainment industry.
According to a "most wanted" bulletin from the FBI, federal authorities are looking for a 73-year-old woman from Michigan who is accused of fabricating the identity of an heiress and masterminding a scheme of multimillion-dollar fraud that tricked various banks and financial institutions in California. The suspect, identified as Mary Carole McDonnell, is alleged to have falsely claimed that she was the daughter of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation family and that she had access to a secret trust worth $ 80 million.
The FBI stated that the extortions were carried out in the areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties between July 2017 and May 2018. The announcement further disclosed that at the time, McDonnell was the CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a Burbank production company that is now defunct and was famous for making true crime TV shows. A federal indictment revealed that Bellum, at the time, was on the brink of collapse due to its inability to pay the employees and settle the debts, hence the spawn of the fraud scheme by McDonnell.
The indictment filed in federal court reveals that McDonnell was being sued in a series of civil cases and that the plaintiffs were creditors to whom she owed more than one million dollars. According to the federal prosecutors, she tricked the creditors into giving her a huge chunk of the company’s money on the strength of fabricated family wealth and a trust that did not exist. The FBI said that Banc of California was the victim that suffered the most from her actions, losing about 14.7 million dollars, and they also claimed that JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, American Express, and other banks, which she scammed in similar ways, accounted for the theft of over 15 million dollars.
Authorities say the money that was raised from the fraudulent transactions was used for Bellum Entertainment’s payroll and to pay off its debts. The FBI further adds that McDonnell allegedly knew she did not have the right to the money but took no steps to return it. Power and energy seem to be major factors in the story told by the authorities. As her identity was being challenged, officials assert that McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, which was her source of credibility and the company whose name she used most frequently in her fabrication, was a thing of the past. They also say that the James S. McDonnell Foundation, which has no connection with the case, did not answer the questions raised about the case.
In December 2018, local law enforcement sought to apprehend McDonnell after she was indicted for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. As stated by the FBI, she is linked to Montgomery, Alabama, and is thought to be living in Dubai. The department informs that if someone knows her location, they should give them the information, but she shouldn't be approached.
Officials conveyed that the probe into this matter is far from over. The FBI wanted poster and the federal indictment are the main resources that provide information about the alleged scheme. Both records emphasise the extent of the lies told and the huge amount of money that was stolen within a time frame of fewer than twelve months.
FAQs
FBI is after Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, who allegedly fabricated her net worth, made up a trust story, and embezzled nearly $30 million from banks during the time her company was undergoing a crisis in the entertainment industry.
According to a "most wanted" bulletin from the FBI, federal authorities are looking for a 73-year-old woman from Michigan who is accused of fabricating the identity of an heiress and masterminding a scheme of multimillion-dollar fraud that tricked various banks and financial institutions in California. The suspect, identified as Mary Carole McDonnell, is alleged to have falsely claimed that she was the daughter of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation family and that she had access to a secret trust worth $ 80 million.
The FBI stated that the extortions were carried out in the areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties between July 2017 and May 2018. The announcement further disclosed that at the time, McDonnell was the CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a Burbank production company that is now defunct and was famous for making true crime TV shows. A federal indictment revealed that Bellum, at the time, was on the brink of collapse due to its inability to pay the employees and settle the debts, hence the spawn of the fraud scheme by McDonnell.
The indictment filed in federal court reveals that McDonnell was being sued in a series of civil cases and that the plaintiffs were creditors to whom she owed more than one million dollars. According to the federal prosecutors, she tricked the creditors into giving her a huge chunk of the company’s money on the strength of fabricated family wealth and a trust that did not exist. The FBI said that Banc of California was the victim that suffered the most from her actions, losing about 14.7 million dollars, and they also claimed that JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, American Express, and other banks, which she scammed in similar ways, accounted for the theft of over 15 million dollars.
Authorities say the money that was raised from the fraudulent transactions was used for Bellum Entertainment’s payroll and to pay off its debts. The FBI further adds that McDonnell allegedly knew she did not have the right to the money but took no steps to return it. Power and energy seem to be major factors in the story told by the authorities. As her identity was being challenged, officials assert that McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, which was her source of credibility and the company whose name she used most frequently in her fabrication, was a thing of the past. They also say that the James S. McDonnell Foundation, which has no connection with the case, did not answer the questions raised about the case.
In December 2018, local law enforcement sought to apprehend McDonnell after she was indicted for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. As stated by the FBI, she is linked to Montgomery, Alabama, and is thought to be living in Dubai. The department informs that if someone knows her location, they should give them the information, but she shouldn't be approached.
Officials conveyed that the probe into this matter is far from over. The FBI wanted poster and the federal indictment are the main resources that provide information about the alleged scheme. Both records emphasise the extent of the lies told and the huge amount of money that was stolen within a time frame of fewer than twelve months.
FAQs
- What company did she operate during the scheme?She was the CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a Burbank-based production company that is Burbank-based.
- Where is she believed to be now?The FBI is of the opinion that she is in Dubai at the moment.
- What charges does she face?She is accused of bank fraud and identity theft, which is aggravated.