Agents say the former TV executive borrowed millions by claiming access to a hidden trust tied to a famous aerospace family.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal agents are searching for Mary Carole McDonnell, 73, who is accused of posing as an aerospace heiress to obtain bank loans worth nearly $30 million from institutions in Los Angeles and Orange counties between 2017 and 2018, then disappearing. Investigators say McDonnell used fabricated claims about an eight-figure family trust to persuade lenders and remains at large.
Authorities say the case matters now because fresh public appeals and a renewed wanted bulletin have put McDonnell back in focus after years on the run. McDonnell, a Michigan native and former chief executive of Burbank-based Bellum Entertainment, is accused of orchestrating a yearlong scheme that leveraged her purported family ties and a secret trust fund to secure large loans she never repaid. A federal grand jury indicted her in 2018 on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and a warrant remains outstanding. Investigators believe she left the United States as the case advanced in federal court in Santa Ana.
According to investigators, the scheme began in July 2017 as McDonnell’s production company faced mounting financial pressure. She introduced herself to lenders as an heiress linked to the founders of the McDonnell Aircraft legacy and claimed she had access to a trust worth tens of millions of dollars. By fall 2017, she had secured a $14.7 million loan from a Southern California bank and approached other institutions with similar paperwork, authorities said. In early 2018, as payments lapsed and lenders pressed for verification, emails and records cited by agents showed assurances that funds would arrive from the trust. Those funds never materialized. “The claims about the trust were false,” an FBI spokesperson said this week, adding that McDonnell used multiple aliases while negotiating with banks and brokers.
Investigators say the total exposure across lenders approached $30 million, with transactions concentrated in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The FBI says McDonnell presented detailed biographies, trust letters and account references that appeared to link her to the McDonnell aerospace family and to an $80 million trust. Bank officers who dealt with her told agents the documents looked sophisticated and were accompanied by confident explanations about pending transfers. Records in the case indicate the largest single advance topped $14 million, with additional credit lines and bridge loans extended by other institutions. Authorities have not disclosed how much has been recovered. No injuries were reported, and the FBI has not alleged the involvement of accomplices by name. Several financial institutions have acknowledged losses or write-offs connected to the loans.
McDonnell’s public profile added to the credibility of her pitch, investigators say. She previously led Bellum Entertainment, which distributed true-crime series and other syndicated programs from its Burbank offices. In 2017, as lawsuits over unpaid wages hit the company, McDonnell sought large infusions of cash, according to court filings and interviews summarized by investigators. The McDonnell Aircraft and later McDonnell Douglas names loom large in Southern California aerospace history; merging with Boeing in the 1990s, the brands are familiar to lenders and business executives. Agents say that familiarity likely helped McDonnell’s story land. The FBI says there is no evidence she is related to the aerospace family or has any legitimate claim to a trust.
Federal prosecutors in Santa Ana charged McDonnell with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2018, and a judge issued a warrant that December after she failed to appear. The FBI says the case remains active and that agents have coordinated with international partners. Investigators believe McDonnell traveled abroad after the indictment and may be in Dubai, though her current location is unknown. Officials say the investigation is ongoing, with potential additional victims encouraged to contact federal authorities. Any future court dates would be set after her arrest and initial appearance in U.S. District Court.
Agents have circulated multiple photographs and a physical description to banks and the public. The FBI says McDonnell is about 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, with blue eyes and blond hair, and uses several aliases. Former colleagues from the television business told investigators they were surprised by the scope of the allegations but confirmed that McDonnell often referenced wealth and prominent family connections. A former bank officer who reviewed her file said the applications were “polished and persuasive,” describing trust letters that looked official and included routing details that later could not be verified. Neighbors near former business addresses said they had not seen her in years.
As of Wednesday, authorities say McDonnell remains a fugitive and could be traveling under another name. The case next turns on new leads produced by this week’s appeals and any tips that can confirm her whereabouts for an arrest. If taken into custody, she would face an initial hearing in federal court in Santa Ana, with charges tied to the 2017–18 lending period.
Author note: Last updated December 10, 2025.