True Crime Producer Mary Carole McDonnell Added to FBI's Most Wanted List for $30 Million Fraud

The Accused: A True Crime Producer Turned Fraudster

• 🎯 Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, a former producer of true crime TV shows, is now on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
• 💡 She allegedly posed as a wealthy heiress to defraud lenders and financial institutions out of millions of dollars.
• 📍 The FBI believes McDonnell, who has ties to Montgomery, Alabama, is currently hiding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Scheme: Posing as an Heiress

• 💰 McDonnell is accused of orchestrating a years-long fraud scheme, beginning around July 2017 and continuing until May 2018.
• 🏦 She falsely claimed to have access to $80 million from a secret trust, posing as an heir to the defunct McDonald Aircraft Corporation family.
• 💸 The scheme involved defrauding multiple banking institutions, including the Bank of California, out of approximately $30 million in total.

The Company and Its Shows

• 🎬 McDonnell was the chief executive of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a California-based company that produced true crime series.
• 📺 Notable shows produced by the company include "It Takes a Killer" and "I Married a Murderer."

Legal Consequences and Current Status

• 🚨 A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in December 2018 after she was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
• 🔍 The FBI bulletin states she knowingly defrauded institutions and did not repay the money.
• ✈️ Despite being on the run, the discussion suggests she is in a secure location, able to afford her lifestyle while evading capture.