FBI Hunts ‘Fake Heiress’ Accused of Swindling Banks Out of Nearly $30 Million With Claims of a Secret $80 Million Fortune

A woman accused of posing as a wealthy heiress to obtain nearly $30 million from financial institutions is now among the FBI’s most wanted fraud suspects. Mary Carole McDonnell, 75, allegedly convinced banks that she belonged to the family behind the McDonnell aircraft fortune and would eventually gain access to an $80 million secret trust. Nearly eight years after a federal arrest warrant was issued, investigators are still searching for her, with authorities believing she may be living in Dubai.

According to the FBI, the alleged scheme took place between July 2017 and May 2018 in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. During that period, McDonnell allegedly claimed she was an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family and had access to substantial inherited wealth. Investigators say those claims helped her obtain money from financial institutions despite allegedly having no legitimate entitlement to the funds.

One California bank reportedly suffered losses of approximately $14.7 million in the alleged scheme. The FBI believes McDonnell also defrauded other financial institutions of more than $15 million, bringing the estimated total to nearly $30 million. Authorities allege the money was never repaid, leaving investigators to pursue a case involving millions of dollars and a suspect who has remained out of reach for years.

The story is particularly striking because McDonnell had a professional background in the entertainment industry. She was the former chief executive of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a Burbank-based production company known for making true-crime television programs. The company later dissolved, and reports have described financial difficulties surrounding its operations. Investigators have not suggested that her work in television itself was criminal; the charges center on the alleged financial scheme and claims about her inheritance.

Federal authorities charged McDonnell with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in December 2018, when a warrant was issued for her arrest. Despite the passage of years, she has not been brought into custody in connection with those charges. The FBI announced on October 14, 2026, that she had been added to its Most Wanted Fraudsters list, renewing public attention on the case and the effort to locate her.

Investigators believe McDonnell may currently be in Dubai, although her whereabouts have not been confirmed publicly. The FBI has also warned that she may have changed her appearance over the years and is known to have used several variations of her name, including Mary Carole Carroll and Mary Carol McDonnell. Authorities have released identifying details and are asking anyone with relevant information to contact the bureau.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to McDonnell’s arrest and conviction. Tips can be submitted through the FBI’s official website or by contacting a local FBI office. Investigators hope that renewed attention to the case will help them locate the fugitive and move the long-running prosecution forward.

For now, the allegations remain to be resolved in court. But the case illustrates how claims of extraordinary wealth and secret inheritance can become central to an alleged financial fraud—and how a case involving millions of dollars can remain open long after the original transactions took place.

Source: PEOPLE