FBI Names 75-Year-Old in Most Wanted Over $14M Fraud Scheme

The FBI has placed 75-year-old Mary Carole McDonnell on its Most Wanted list, saying she posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family to obtain money from banks. The agency said she claimed access to an $80 million secret trust tied to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, an aerospace manufacturer known for building military aircraft.

The alleged activity ran from July 2017 through May 2018. The FBI said McDonnell obtained $14.7 million from Banc of California and another $15 million from other financial institutions. A federal arrest warrant was issued Dec. 12, 2018. She faces charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Before the case, McDonnell served as chief executive of Bellum Entertainment LLC in Burbank, California. The company produced television programs including the true-crime series "It Takes a Killer" and "I Married a Murderer." The FBI lists aliases for her including Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carroll McDonnell and Mary C. Carroll.

The FBI describes McDonnell as 5-foot-7, about 145 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes and a scar on her right knee. Investigators believe she is in Dubai, with ties to Los Angeles and Montgomery, Alabama. The agency asks anyone with information to reach a local FBI office or a U.S. embassy or consulate.