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FBI Hunts 73-Year-Old Woman in $15 Million Bank Fraud Scheme
The FBI’s Los Angeles branch has announced a nationwide hunt for 73-year-old Mary Carole McDonnell, who is wanted for allegedly orchestrating a series of financial fraud schemes totaling nearly $15 million. McDonnell is accused of defrauding the Banc of California and other financial institutions between July 2017 and May 2018.
According to the FBI, McDonnell falsely claimed to be the heir to a wealthy family, asserting access to a secret $80 million trust. The bureau believes she is currently residing in Dubai.
“McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California,” states her wanted listing under White Collar Crimes. The listing further alleges that McDonnell fraudulently obtained approximately $14.7 million from the bank, a sum she knew she was not entitled to and has not repaid.
In addition to bank fraud, McDonnell faces charges of aggravated identity theft for allegedly claiming to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, the jet production company that merged with The Boeing Company in 1997.
An arrest warrant for McDonnell was issued on December 12, 2018, in Santa Ana, California. The FBI’s Los Angeles branch recently posted on social media that McDonnell also has ties to Montgomery, Alabama, and is seeking public assistance in locating her.
McDonnell’s wanted listing identifies her occupation as the Chief Executive Officer of Bellum Entertainment Group, a Los Angeles-based television production and distribution company she founded in 2004. The company, initially known as LongNeedle Entertainment, produced various true-crime, wildlife, educational, and cooking programs. It dissolved in 2017 due to “unresolved financial issues.”
The Banc of California, headquartered in Los Angeles with 80 branches across the state, specializes in business services. In 2018, the bank secured a $100 million deal for the naming rights to the Los Angeles FC soccer club’s stadium in Exposition Park.