Former TV chief on FBI fraudsters list over alleged $29m bank scam
Former Bellum Entertainment chief executive Mary Carole McDonnell, 75, has been placed on the FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list over allegations she defrauded banks in California of more than $29 million.
The listing was reported by Deadline on 15 Oct 2026. The FBI is offering $150,000 for information leading to her arrest and conviction.
McDonnell is accused of running the alleged scheme from 2017. Investigators say she told banks she was an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family with access to an $80 million secret trust.
That claim underpinned loan and account applications in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, according to the FBI's wanted notice. The agency lists her as wanted for alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in those two counties, as stated on its FBI wanted page.
She was charged in 2018 with five counts of bank fraud and identity theft. Those charges carry a combined potential maximum sentence of 154 years in prison if she is tried and convicted.
McDonnell is believed to have been in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for the past few years. The FBI has not said when she left the United States.
The Most Wanted Fraudsters list itself is new. The FBI launched it on 4 June 2026 to focus public attention on fugitives wanted for alleged financial crimes.
McDonnell previously worked as a television executive and true-crime producer. Her former role as chief executive of Bellum Entertainment and her background in true-crime television were noted by A&E and Deadline.
What makes this stand out is the shift from making crime programmes to becoming the subject of a wanted notice. For anyone with information, the FBI directs tips to its wanted page and local field offices. The allegations remain unproven in court.
