- Key insight: Mary McDonnell allegedly ran a studio producing true-crime shows such as "Corrupt Crimes" while simultaneously orchestrating a massive bank fraud scheme herself.
- Supporting data: Between February and March 2018, McDonnell allegedly drew down nearly $14.6 million from the bank to pay creditors and cover payroll.
- What's at stake: McDonnell is currently a fugitive facing federal charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; the FBI believes she is residing in Dubai.
Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review
The FBI is searching for Mary Carole McDonnell, a Hollywood production executive whose company produced true crime shows, over an alleged scheme that defrauded Banc of California out of nearly $15 million.
McDonnell, the CEO of Bellum Entertainment, allegedly secured a substantial credit facility by posing as an heiress to the founders of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, claiming access to an $80 million secret trust, according to the FBI.
The bureau believes she is now residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to
The search for McDonnell is part of a bizarre saga involving document forgery, an allegedly complicit notary and a struggling studio that produced true-crime programs such as "Corrupt Crimes" and "It Takes a Killer."
The alleged scheme
In December 2017, McDonnell approached Banc of California seeking a bridge loan. She claimed that she was a beneficiary of the McDonnell Family Irrevocable Trust of 1964, according to
The trust originated from the fortune created by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, founded by James Smith McDonnell. The company built the F-4 Phantom II, a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War, and the space capsules on NASA's Mercury and Gemini missions during the Space Race.
To secure the lending relationship with Banc of California, McDonnell presented account statements from Northern Trust Securities showing a balance of more than $28.6 million, according to the complaint.
The bank underwrote a loan to McDonnell on the basis of an agreement between the Banc of California, McDonnell and Northern Trust. Under the agreement, Banc of California would receive the $28.6 million from Northern Trust if McDonnell defaulted on the loan.
However, McDonnell had forged the document and convinced a notary to notarize it.
Specifically, McDonnell allegedly forged the signature of a managing director at Northern Trust, according to the 2018 lawsuit filed by Banc of California. The bank later discovered that the notary notarized the document without the Northern Trust employee present, according to the complaint.
When Banc of California attempted to verify the collateral in early 2018, the bank discovered that the Northern Trust account did not belong to the McDonnell family trust but to an unrelated third party, and the account had actually been closed in December 2017, according to the complaint.
Payroll troubles
While McDonnell was allegedly drawing down millions from the bank, her production company was in financial disarray.
Between February and March 2018, McDonnell drew down approximately $14.6 million from the Banc of California facility, according to the civil complaint.
Federal prosecutors allege she used these proceeds to pay creditors and cover payroll for Bellum Entertainment, according to
McDonnell had previously blamed her company's liquidity issues on external criminality. In June 2017, McDonnell sent emails to staff claiming Bellum was the "victim of a crime" and "significant bank fraud," which she cited as the cause for payroll delays, according to
The payroll issues were severe enough that on-air talent walked off the job.
Tim Clemente, a former FBI special agent who appeared as an expert on Bellum's crime shows, said during the payroll delays that he and his associates refused to continue working until they received back wages, according to
"They give all kinds of different excuses," Clemente told the publication regarding McDonnell's firm.
Fugitive status
McDonnell now faces federal charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the 2018 indictment. The FBI estimates that her alleged activities defrauded financial institutions of more than $15 million total.
In addition to the fabricated trust fund and forged signatures, McDonnell utilized multiple aliases, including Mary Carole Carroll and Mary Carroll McDonald, according to the FBI.
McDonnell was scheduled to return to the United States from Dubai in June 2018 but failed to do so,
