FBI adds true crime TV producer to Most Wanted list for loan fraud tied to phony heiress story

The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is displayed at its headquarters in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

SANTA ANA, Calif. — The former head of a California company that produced true crime TV shows has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list, years after being charged with portraying herself as an heiress to get millions of dollars from lenders.

Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, is believed to be in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the FBI said on Dec. 5.

McDonnell is the former chief executive at Bellum Entertainment LLC, based in Burbank, California, which produced shows such as “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer.”

Bellum was having financial problems in 2017. McDonnell was able to get a US$14.7 million loan from a bank after falsely claiming she was related to the founders of McDonnell Douglas, a leading aviation and aerospace company, and had $28 million in a trust account, according to court documents.

“It is alleged that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, with an estimated loss of over $15 million,” the FBI said.

A grand jury indicted McDonnell in 2018 on charges of fraud and identity theft. She has not been found. The case is filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California.

The Associated Press