Who is Mary Carole McDonnell? Fake airline heiress allegedly cons banks out of $30 million, flees to Dubai
Mary Carole McDonnell allegedly approached banks and financial institutions, claiming she had a secret $80 million trust fund, according to the FBI.
A 72-year-old woman on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) most-wanted list allegedly was involved in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.

“Mary Carole McDonnell is #wanted by the #FBI for her alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California. Beginning in approximately July of 2017, and continuing to May of 2018, 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 a bank,” the FBI tweeted.
Who is Mary Carole McDonnell?
According to FBI report, she “falsely claimed” to be a member of the McDonnell Aircraft Family and said she has an $80 million secret trust fund. The feds said, “McDonnell falsely claims to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access.”
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The statement revealed, “On December 12, 2018, a federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana, California, after she was charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. It is believed McDonnell is currently in Dubai.”
Born in 1951 in Michigan, she worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Bellum Entertainment LLC, as per the FBI report. She has ties to “Los Angeles, California; Montgomery, Alabama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.”
The FBI report further stated, “Beginning in approximately July of 2017, and continuing to May of 2018, 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. Through this scheme, McDonnell allegedly and fraudulently obtained a total of approximately $14.7 million from the bank to which she knew she was not entitled and has not paid back. It is alleged that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, with an estimated loss of over $15 million.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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