Ex-Bellum CEO on FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters List
Key Takeaway: The FBI has added former Bellum Entertainment CEO Mary Carole McDonnell to its newly formed Most Wanted Fraudsters List, with a $150,000 reward for information leading to her arrest.
The FBI has added former Bellum Entertainment CEO Mary Carole McDonnell to its newly formed Most Wanted Fraudsters List, offering a $150,000 reward for information leading to her arrest, CBS News reported. McDonnell is wanted on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, accused of posing as an heiress to dupe California banks.
The alleged heiress scheme
According to CBS News, citing the FBI, McDonnell falsely claimed to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family, with what the bureau describes as ‘an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access.’ The alleged scheme ran from July 2017 to May 2018.
The FBI alleges that McDonnell ‘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.’ She allegedly took $14.7 million from Banc of California, and also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, according to the FBI, CBS News reported.
A true-crime producer on the run
McDonnell is the former CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a producer of true-crime television shows including ‘I Married a Murderer’ and ‘It Takes a Killer’/’Bizarre Murders’. She has been on the run since 2018 and was charged in December 2018, according to CBS News.
CBS News describes her as 5-foot-7, 145 lbs and blonde. Deadline reports that Bellum, formed in 2004, owed more than $1 million to creditors and was under a California Labor Commissioner investigation.
Key Story Metrics
| Figure | Reported Status |
|---|---|
| FBI reward | $150,000 (CBS, Rolling Stone, Deadline) |
| Alleged amount (Banc of California) | $14.7 million (Yahoo, CBS) |
| Alleged amount (all banks) | Nearly $30 million (CBS) |
| Bank fraud counts | 5 (up to 30 years each) (Deadline) |
| Alleged scheme period | July 2017 to May 2018 (Yahoo) |
✓ Verified
• The FBI added Mary Carole McDonnell to its newly formed Most Wanted Fraudsters List (CBS, Rolling Stone, Deadline).
• A $150,000 reward is offered for information leading to her arrest (CBS, Rolling Stone, Deadline).
• McDonnell is the former CEO of Bellum Entertainment LLC, a true-crime TV producer (Yahoo, Rolling Stone, Deadline).
• She is wanted on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges (Rolling Stone).
⚠ Still needs confirmation
• McDonnell’s age: 75 (Yahoo, CBS, Deadline) vs 74 (Rolling Stone).
• Total alleged amounts differ by scope: $14.7M from Banc of California alone (Yahoo, CBS); ‘more than $15 million’ (Rolling Stone); nearly $30M across banks in Los Angeles and Orange counties (CBS).
• All charges are allegations; McDonnell is wanted, not convicted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mary McDonnell charged with?
Bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to Rolling Stone. She faces five counts of bank fraud, each carrying a maximum of 30 years, according to Deadline.
What is the FBI reward?
$150,000 for information leading to her arrest, according to CBS News, Rolling Stone and Deadline.
Editor’s note: All charges are allegations; McDonnell is wanted, not convicted. Age and amount figures differ by outlet as noted.
