A Southern California woman believed to be living in Dubai and who claimed to be an heiress to the McDonnell aircraft family is one of two fugitives who have been added to the FBI’s newly formed Most Wanted Fraudsters list for allegedly defrauding banks out of millions of dollars, Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, announced today.

Mary Carole McDonnell, 75, is wanted for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for her alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. From July 2017 to May 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by a California bank. Through this scheme, McDonnell allegedly and fraudulently obtained a total of approximately $14.7 million from the bank to which she knew she was not entitled and has not paid back.

It is alleged that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion. McDonnell has falsely claimed to be an heiress to the McDonnell aircraft family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access. In December 2018, a federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana, California, after she was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. It is believed McDonnell is currently in Dubai.

McDonnell is also known to have used multiple aliases, including Mary Carole Carroll; Mary Carol McDonnell; Mary Carroll McDonnell; Mary C. Carroll; Mary Carroll McDonald. She is 5’7” and has blue eyes. She is known to weigh approximately 145 pounds and has blonde hair, although she could have changed her appearance over the years. McDonnell has ties to Los Angeles, California; Montgomery, Alabama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

"Most Wanted Fraudster Mary McDonnell is wanted for defrauding financial institutions out of millions and is known to have falsified her inheritance and background,” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. "It’s just a matter of time before McDonnell is caught as we work with our international partners to locate her. A generous reward is being offered in exchange for information leading to her apprehension and conviction, and a tip from the public might break the case.”

The Most Wanted Fraudsters list was created and launched in June 2026 to generate public interest and assistance with information leading to the location and apprehension of fraud fugitives. A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a member on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list.

The Most Wanted Fraudsters list is separate from the FBI’s traditional Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and was created to focus exclusively on fugitives wanted for major fraud.

The case against McDonnell was investigated by the FBI. McDonnell is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.