A woman who allegedly defrauded banks out of millions of dollars by posing as an heiress to an aviation fortune has been added to the FBI's Most Wanted list.
The television production company where McDonnell was formerly employed produced true crime series, including “It Takes a Killer” and “I Married a Murderer.”
The fraud allegedly began around July 2017 when McDonnell's company was struggling financially. Using false credentials, she managed to secure a $14.7 million loan from Banc of California by claiming she was related to the founders of McDonnell Douglas, a major aviation and aerospace company.
"McDonnell falsely claims to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access," the FBI said in its wanted notice.
Her claims had a basis in reality. According to the National Aviation Museum, James McDonnell was a genuine aviation pioneer who founded McDonnell Aircraft in 1939.
Mary Carole McDonnell's scheme didn't stop with the single bank loan. "It is alleged that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, with an estimated loss of over $15 million," according to the FBI.
A federal grand jury indicted McDonnell in 2018 in Santa Ana, California. A federal arrest warrant was issued after she was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, but she has evaded capture for years.
The FBI said McDonnell has used multiple aliases, including Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary Carroll McDonnell, Mary C. Carroll, and Mary Carroll McDonald.
She was born Dec. 28, 1951, in Michigan and is described as a white female with blonde hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighing 145 pounds. She has a scar on her right knee.
McDonnell has connections to Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California, Montgomery, Alabama, and Dubai.
Anyone with information about McDonnell's whereabouts is urged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.