US EditionWoman wanted by FBI allegedly posed as wealthy heiress, defrauded millions from banks
Mary Carole McDonnell allegedly posed as an aviation family heir to fraudulently obtain nearly $30 million from Southern California banks between 2017 and 2018, FBI says.
- On December 5, 2025, the FBI said Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, is wanted for allegedly scamming nearly $30 million in California while posing as an heiress, believed to be in Dubai.
- A federal arrest warrant issued on Dec. 12, 2018, shows McDonnell allegedly claimed access to an $80 million `secret trust` during her scheme from July 2017–May 2018.
- Court records show Banc of California lost about $14,700,000, and investigators believe McDonnell defrauded other financial institutions of more than $15,000,000.
- The FBI urged the public to come forward with tips after McDonnell was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2018, with the case filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana.
- McDonnell previously ran Bellum Entertainment LLC, Burbank production company that dissolved amid financial problems and labor scrutiny, and officials say her multiple aliases complicate identification.
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Have You Seen This Diva?
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: FBI, Getty Images Step aside, Anna Delvey. There’s a new faux-heiress scammer in town. Well, actually, she’s believed to be in Dubai, and if you know anything else regarding her whereabouts, the FBI would love to hear it. Mary Carole McDonnell is now on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list after allegedly posing as the heiress to an aerospace empire and conning banks out of almost $30 million.According to an FBI p…
A seven-year-old is wanted by the FBI for organizing a fraud of close to $30 million from banks, pretending to be an heir to the McDonnell Douglas aerospace empire.
A 73-year-old American woman was placed on the FBI's list of most wanted criminals for defrauding nearly US$30 million at banks.
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