tips.fbi.govA 75-year-old woman has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List for allegedly scamming California banks out of tens of millions of dollars nearly a decade ago.
Mary Carole McDonnell, of Missouri, has been on the run since she allegedly bilked banks in Los Angeles and Orange counties out of nearly $30 million in 2017 and 2018 while pretending to be the heiress of the McDonnell aircraft family. A reward of up to $150,000 has been offered for information leading to her arrest and conviction, the FBI said.
“McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California,” said McDonnell’s listing on the newly formed Most Wanted Fraudsters List. “McDonnell falsely claims to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access.”
McDonnell is believed to be in Dubai and has ties to Southern California and Montgomery, Alabama.
FBI
Federal agents say that McDonnell used the scheme to fraudulently take $14.7 million from Banc of California, “which she knew she was not entitled and has not paid back.” They also believe that she defrauded other financial institutions in a similar fashion, resulting in an estimated loss of $15 million.
In December 2018, federal prosecutors charged McDonnell with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. An arrest warrant was issued at the same time.
McDonnell is described as standing 5-foot-7 and weighing approximately 145 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and detectives say she has a notable scar on her right knee. The FBI said she may have changed her appearance over the years and has gone by several aliases, including Mary C. Caroll and Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary Caroll McDonell and Mary Caroll McDonald.
“t’s just a matter of time before McDonnell is caught as we work with our international partners to locate her. A generous reward is being offered in exchange for information leading to her apprehension and conviction, and a tip from the public might break the case,” said a statement from FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grandy.
Federal investigators listed McDonnell’s last known occupation as the chief executive officer of Bellum Entertainment, LLC, a Burbank-based television production and distribution company that made true crime shows. The company dissolved in 2017 due to undisclosed financial issues, which a CBS LA investigative story highlighted. During the investigation, employees said McDonnell did not pay them what they were owed.
Anyone who knows more about McDonnell’s whereabouts was asked to cotact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Online tips can also be submitted at tips.fbi.gov.
