SANTA ANA CALIFORNIA December 9th
Federal investigators say a fugitive former television executive is at the center of a long running bank fraud case that allegedly drew nearly 30 million dollars from lenders in Southern California through a story about a secret family fortune and an aerospace legacy. According to the FBI, federal charges filed in UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA accuse Mary Carole McDonnell of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with loans and credit obtained in Los Angeles County and Orange County between 2017 and 2018.
The official wanted notice from the FBI states that beginning in approximately July 2017 and continuing through May 2018, McDonnell allegedly devised and took part in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by BANC OF CALIFORNIA. Through that scheme she is alleged to have obtained about 14.7 million dollars from the bank, money that federal authorities say she knew she was not entitled to and has not repaid.
In the same document, the FBI further alleges that McDonnell used similar methods with additional financial institutions, leading to estimated losses of more than 15 million dollars on top of the BANC OF CALIFORNIA exposure. That total places the overall alleged fraud near 30 million dollars and is the figure now being repeated in multiple public notices and press accounts based on the federal description of the case.
According to the FBI, McDonnell represented herself as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family and claimed she would have access to an 80 million dollar secret trust. Investigators state in their public notice that these heiress claims are false and that she used them as part of the effort to secure large scale financing.
The criminal case is filed in UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA in Santa Ana. Court records described in Associated Press reporting say a grand jury indicted McDonnell in 2018 on charges of fraud and identity theft after the lending arrangements had already been made and after civil disputes over unpaid obligations had begun to surface.
The FBI notice lists McDonnell’s last known primary occupation as chief executive officer of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a now defunct Burbank based production company that made true crime and documentary style programs. Federal and state labor records referenced in multiple civil filings and news reports describe Bellum as a company that struggled to meet payroll and other financial obligations in the same general period that the alleged bank fraud took place.
According to those civil and regulatory records as summarized in public reporting, Bellum Entertainment faced complaints from former employees and contributors alleging unpaid wages and other debts, with some matters brought before the California Labor Commission. Those proceedings and civil suits are separate from the federal criminal indictment but have been cited by reporters and former associates to illustrate the broader financial pressure surrounding the company during the time when, according to federal prosecutors, McDonnell was seeking large loans by presenting herself as an heiress with a substantial trust.
The FBI states that a federal arrest warrant for McDonnell was issued on December 12th 2018 in UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA in Santa Ana after she was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. She has not been taken into custody, and recent public statements from the Bureau say agents believe she is currently in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The wanted notice lists ties to Los Angeles California and Montgomery Alabama in addition to Dubai.
In its physical description, the FBI identifies McDonnell as a White female born in 1951 in Michigan, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 145 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a scar on her right knee. The notice lists several aliases, including Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary Carroll McDonnell, Mary C. Carroll, and Mary Carroll McDonald, and states that she is considered a fugitive wanted in connection with the charged scheme.
Separate background reporting has revisited the history of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, the aerospace firm whose family name appears in the heiress story described by federal investigators. That company, once a major defense and aviation manufacturer, merged into McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960s and later became part of Boeing. Those corporate histories have been cited in coverage to provide context for the family name that appears in the federal description of McDonnell’s alleged narrative, but they are not part of the criminal complaint itself.
At this stage, the allegations against McDonnell remain charges set out by the FBI and federal prosecutors, and she has not appeared in court to respond to them. The Bureau lists her on its wanted pages and asks that anyone with information about her location contact a local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate, or submit a tip through the Bureau’s official channels.
At the Appalachian Post, our role in this case is limited to summarizing what the official first hand documents say and clearly separating those primary records from secondary reporting that adds context about Bellum Entertainment and related civil disputes. The federal indictment, the FBI wanted poster, and the case docket in UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA are the controlling sources for the specific criminal allegations, dates, and dollar amounts described above.
The Appalachian Post is an independent West Virginia news outlet dedicated to clean, verified, first-hand reporting. We do not publish rumors. We do not run speculation. Every fact we present must be supported by original documentation, official statements, or direct evidence. When secondary sources are used, we clearly identify them and never treat them as first-hand confirmation. We avoid loaded language, emotional framing, or accusatory wording, and we do not attack individuals, organizations, or other news outlets. Our role is to report only what can be verified through first-hand sources and allow readers to form their own interpretations. If we cannot confirm a claim using original evidence, we state clearly that we reviewed first-hand sources and could not find documentation confirming it. Our commitment is simple: honest reporting, transparent sourcing, and zero speculation.
Sources
Primary First Hand Sources
- FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION wanted notice for Mary Carole McDonnell describing the alleged bank fraud scheme in Los Angeles County and Orange County, the 14.7 million dollar loss figure for BANC OF CALIFORNIA, the estimated additional 15 million dollar loss to other financial institutions, the December 12th 2018 arrest warrant in UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, and McDonnell’s physical description, aliases, and believed presence in Dubai
- UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA case filing location and indictment details as summarized in Associated Press reporting from Santa Ana California
Secondary Attribution Based Sources
- ABC News and Associated Press coverage on McDonnell’s addition to the FBI Most Wanted list and on Bellum Entertainment’s role as her former production company in Burbank California
- NBC Los Angeles and related NBC outlets summarizing the FBI description of the 2017 to 2018 bank fraud timeline, the 14.7 million dollar BANC OF CALIFORNIA loan, the additional 15 million dollars in alleged losses, and civil complaints over Bellum Entertainment’s unpaid obligations
- People and AOL reporting that quote and summarize the FBI statement on McDonnell’s alleged scheme, provide additional detail on Bellum Entertainment’s wage disputes, and restate the dollar amounts and Dubai location from the federal notice
- Additional national and local news coverage that relies on the FBI notice and federal court records to describe McDonnell’s alleged impersonation of an aircraft heiress and the approximate overall loss figure of nearly 30 million dollars
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