FBI Seeks Woman in $30M California Bank Fraud Case

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking 73-year-old Mary Carole McDonnell, accused of orchestrating a fraud scheme that defrauded banks and financial institutions of nearly $30 million in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, from July 2017 to May 2018. Authorities believe McDonnell, who has ties to Michigan, Los Angeles, and Montgomery, Alabama, is currently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and have issued a public appeal for information on her whereabouts.

According to the FBI, McDonnell posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family, falsely claiming access to an $80 million secret trust. She allegedly devised the scheme with intent to defraud, targeting Banc of California and other institutions. From Banc of California alone, McDonnell secured approximately $14.7 million in loans and funds to which she was not entitled and has not repaid, the agency stated. Additional losses from similar tactics against other financial entities exceeded $15 million, bringing the total estimated at close to $30 million.

A federal arrest warrant for McDonnell was issued on December 12, 2018, by the United States District Court in the Central District of California in Santa Ana....