TV exec fugitive accused of faking fortune before vanishing with millions – leaving her former star floored
Mary Carole McDonnell, the former chief executive of television production company Bellum Entertainment, is being hunted by the FBI over an alleged multimillion-dollar bank fraud scheme, having reportedly fled to Dubai. Prosecutors say she posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family and falsely claimed access to an $80 million secret trust in order to defraud Banc of California and other institutions of more than $15 million. The case has resurfaced years after her indictment, drawing renewed attention because of her past role overseeing popular reality programming, including a home makeover show.
McDonnell was indicted in 2018 on five counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft over conduct between July 2017 and May 2018 in Los Angeles and Orange counties, with a federal arrest warrant issued that December. The FBI says she obtained roughly $14.7 million from Banc of California using fabricated trust documents. Antonio Sabato Jr, who hosted Bellum's renovation series "Fix It & Finish It", told Fox News Digital he had no knowledge of the allegations and was never contacted by investigators, but said the show's abrupt cancellation had long puzzled him and he was "speechless" on learning the scale of the alleged fraud.
- Ex-TV executive Mary Carole McDonnell wanted by FBI for fraud
- Accused of faking $80m trust to steal over $15m
- Believed to be in Dubai; former show host "floored" by news
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Mary Carole McDonnell ran Bellum Entertainment, a television production company behind reality and lifestyle shows, before she was indicted in 2018 on federal bank fraud and identity theft charges. Prosecutors allege she invented a false identity, claiming to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family with access to a huge secret trust fund, and used those fabricated documents to borrow money from banks including Banc of California. She is accused of obtaining more than $15 million this way and has reportedly not faced trial, with the FBI still searching for her.
The case matters because it combines an alleged large-scale financial fraud with the disruption of a working television production company, whose staff, presenters and viewers were affected when its shows ended abruptly. Antonio Sabato Jr, who fronted one of Bellum's home renovation programmes, has spoken publicly about learning of the allegations, giving the story a recognisable face beyond the legal proceedings. The story has resurfaced now because McDonnell is reportedly still at large, having allegedly left the United States for Dubai.