The FBI’s Most Wanted list has a new name, and it belongs to a former television executive who spent years producing true-crime shows. Mary Carole McDonnell, 75, once served as CEO of Bellum Entertainment, the Burbank company behind programs like “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer.” Federal investigators now accuse her of posing as an heiress to the McDonnell Aircraft family fortune and its supposed $80 million secret trust.
According to the FBI, the scheme ran from July 2017 to May 2018. Investigators say it netted $14.7 million from Banc of California and another $15 million from other financial institutions. A federal arrest warrant was issued in December 2018 on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, yet McDonnell has remained elusive. She’s believed to be in Dubai and has ties to Los Angeles and Montgomery, Alabama. She has also used multiple aliases, including Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, and Mary Carroll McDonald.
Beyond the headlines, the case is a reminder that identity fraud can be sophisticated and large-scale, and banks and families alike can be targets. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI or a U.S. embassy. Have you ever encountered a suspicious offer involving a supposed inheritance or secret trust? We’d like to hear your story.
