The former executive of a California-based company that produced true crime shows is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after allegedly posing as an heiress and defrauding banks of millions of dollars in a yearslong scheme.
Mary Carole McDonnell, a 73-year-old Michigan native, is wanted for her alleged involvement in a "fraud scheme" in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California, the FBI said in a most wanted bulletin. The scheme began around July 2017 and continued until May 2018, according to the agency.
During that period, McDonnell resided in Los Angeles County and was the chief executive officer of Bellum Entertainment LLC, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. The now-defunct production and distribution company was based in Burbank, California, and known for producing true-crime shows such as "It Takes a Killer" and "I Married a Murderer."
Court documents showed that McDonnell was having financial issues around July 2017. She then falsely claimed to the Banc of California that she was an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation family and would have access to an $80 million secret trust account to obtain a loan, the FBI said.
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