The hunt is on for Mary Carole McDonnell, a 73-year-old ex-CEO now topping the FBI’s most-wanted list over an alleged multimillion-dollar bank scam! Federal agents say McDonnell pulled off a series of complex frauds across Orange and L.A. counties between July 2017 and May 2018, reportedly swindling the Banc of California out of a jaw-dropping $14.7 million. But the saga doesn’t end there—investigators suspect she worked the same con at several other banks, pushing the estimated total loss well past $15 million!
According to the feds, McDonnell’s most outrageous claim: She’s an heiress to the famed McDonnell Aircraft fortune, with secret rights to an $80 million trust fund. Legal trouble finally caught up with her in December 2018, when authorities slapped her with federal charges for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The FBI describes McDonnell as 5’7″, about 145 pounds, rocking blond hair and blue eyes, with a telltale scar on her right knee. She’s a master of disguise too, reportedly using a string of aliases, including Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary C. Carroll, and Mary Carroll McDonald.
If you’re thinking of booking a flight to Dubai, keep your eyes peeled—officials believe McDonnell may be hiding out in the United Arab Emirates, but she’s got deep connections to both Los Angeles and Montgomery, Alabama. Before her alleged double life began, McDonnell ran Bellum Entertainment Group, a Burbank TV production firm (formerly LongNeedle Entertainment) she founded in 2004. The company shut down in 2017, reportedly due to messy financial drama that, in hindsight, foreshadowed her next act.
Got a hot tip on McDonnell’s whereabouts? The FBI urges the public to call their nearest field office, American Embassy, or Consulate. Prefer to stay anonymous? Drop your lead at tips.fbi.gov/home.
