FBI Hunts for Elderly Woman Who Scammed Banks Out of Millions

A 75-year-old former Hollywood television executive is at the center of an international manhunt after federal investigators accused her of orchestrating an elaborate $30 million bank fraud scheme while pretending to be the heir to a massive aviation fortune.

Mary Carole McDonnell, who once ran a television production company known for true-crime programming, has been placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list, with authorities offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to her arrest and conviction.

But investigators believe the woman they have been searching for since 2018 may no longer be in the United States.

According to the FBI, McDonnell could be living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after allegedly disappearing while facing federal charges involving bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The extraordinary case centers on a fortune that investigators say never existed.

McDonnell allegedly convinced financial institutions that she was an heir to the wealthy family behind McDonnell Aircraft, the American aerospace manufacturer that eventually became part of McDonnell Douglas.

She claimed to have access to a secret trust fund worth $80 million, a story authorities say helped her obtain millions of dollars to which she was not entitled.

Federal investigators allege that between July 2017 and May 2018, McDonnell participated in a scheme targeting Banc of California in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

During that period, she allegedly obtained approximately $14.7 million from the bank.

The FBI says the money was never repaid.

Investigators also believe she used similar tactics against additional financial institutions, causing estimated losses exceeding $15 million.

Together, the alleged losses approach $30 million.

McDonnell’s claimed connection to an aviation dynasty was central to the alleged deception. Investigators say she misrepresented her family background and used the supposed inheritance to convince lenders that substantial wealth would become available to her.

The FBI’s allegations have not been proven in court, and McDonnell remains wanted rather than convicted.

Her story becomes even more unusual when examining her former career.

Before disappearing from public view, McDonnell served as chief executive of Bellum Entertainment, a Burbank-based television production and distribution company.

The business produced programs including “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer,” shows that examined real criminal cases and the people involved in them.

Now the woman behind those true-crime productions is herself the subject of a federal fraud investigation.

Bellum Entertainment had been experiencing serious financial difficulties before its closure in 2017.

According to entertainment industry reporting, the company faced complaints involving unpaid workers and creditors, along with scrutiny over employment practices.

Former employees have described uncertainty surrounding payroll and the company’s finances during its final years.

The FBI’s allegations concern McDonnell’s dealings with financial institutions, and the company’s financial troubles do not independently establish that the alleged bank fraud occurred.

Federal prosecutors charged McDonnell with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and an arrest warrant was issued on December 12, 2018, by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Despite the outstanding warrant, authorities have not publicly confirmed her current whereabouts.

The FBI believes she may be in Dubai and has identified connections to Los Angeles and Montgomery, Alabama.

Investigators have also warned that McDonnell may have changed her appearance or used different names to avoid detection.

Among the aliases listed by federal authorities are Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary Carroll McDonnell, Mary C. Carroll and Mary Carroll McDonald.

The FBI describes her as approximately 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing around 145 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a scar on her right knee.

However, investigators caution that those identifying characteristics may have changed since her last known photographs were taken.

The case received renewed national attention in October 2026 when the FBI highlighted McDonnell on its Most Wanted Fraudsters list and publicized the substantial reward.

Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said investigators remain committed to locating her.

He emphasized that authorities are cooperating with international partners and hope information from the public will help bring the long-running search to an end.

The case illustrates how an apparently impressive personal background can become central to a sophisticated financial fraud allegation.

McDonnell’s supposed access to an enormous family fortune gave her a story that investigators believe helped persuade financial institutions to provide millions of dollars.

The FBI has not publicly explained every financial transaction involved or identified all the additional institutions believed to have suffered losses.

Authorities are continuing to seek information about McDonnell’s location and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Anyone with relevant information can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip through the agency’s official website.

For investigators, the central question remains whether the former entertainment executive can be located and brought before a federal court to answer the charges.

Nearly eight years after the warrant was issued, the alleged $30 million scheme remains unresolved, and the FBI is offering a substantial reward to help find the woman at its center.