The FBI has added former true crime TV producer Mary Carole McDonnell to its Most Wanted list after she stole nearly $30 million by scamming banks and other financial institutions in an elaborate scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation explained in its latest bulletin listing that McDonnell is wanted for her alleged involvement in a “fraud scheme” that targeted companies in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California.
The FBI said that she posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation fortune, and she falsely claimed that she had access to a secret trust of $80 million. The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation – which was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri – went out of business in 1967.
McDonnell’s scheme allegedly first began around July 2017 and she continued to scam businesses out of their money until May 2018, according to the FBI.
At the time that she was allegedly stealing the money, McDonnell was working as the chief executive officer of Bellum Entertainment LLC. The Burbank production company, which eventually went out of business in 2017, helped make true crime shows that included I Married a Murderer and It Takes a Killer, according to the Associated Press.
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In a federal indictment, authorities said that Bellum Entertainment LLC was having issues fulfilling payroll and meeting its financial obligations, according to NBC News. Additionally, McDonnell has been named in several civil complaints that claimed she owed more than $1 million to creditors around the United States.
In the bulletin, the FBI alleged that McDonnell knowingly defrauded the Banc of California when she took $14.7 million from the company. In fact, the FBI said McDonnell knew she wasn’t entitled to the money and noted that she never repaid it.
The FBI went on to claim that McDonnell allegedly defrauded more than $15 million from other financial institutions throughout the course of her fraudulent scheme.
The FBI said that McDonnell used the stolen money “to pay, among other things, creditors and the payroll of Bellum.”
After a grand jury indicted her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, a federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in December 2018. McDonnell has remained on the run ever since, though the FBI believes she is currently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The FBI also noted that she has ties to the Montgomery, Alabama, area.
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The official Most Wanted Fugitives list is featured on the FBI’s website and shares information with the public to help track down dangerous criminals who are on the run that they have deemed as “high priority.” In addition to uploading photos of the fugitives, the website also breaks down identifying characteristics of the wanted people and shares details about their crimes.
The FBI is asking the public for help in looking for McDonnell, as well as anyone else included on the Most Wanted list. Those who cross paths with people they believe might be on the Most Wanted list have been asked to submit a tip at the local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.