Crime
73-Year-old woman wanted for allegedly defrauding Banks and Institutions of nearly $30 Million while posing as Heiress
A 73-year-old American woman who allegedly posed as an heiress in California is on the run after scamming nearly $30 million from banks and institutions, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced.
Mary Carole McDonnell is wanted for her alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles County and Orange County, Calif., from approximately July 2017 to May 2018, according to the FBI’s press release.
The agency alleges that McDonnell, who also has ties to Montgomery, Ala., falsely claimed to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family and that she would have access to an $80 million secret trust.
She 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 Banc of California,” the FBI said.
Through this alleged scheme, the FBI claims McDonnell fraudulently obtained approximately $14.7 million from the bank to which she knew she was not entitled and has not repaid.
McDonnell also allegedly defrauded other financial institutions “in a similar manner” of over $15 million, per authorities.
She is described as a blonde woman weighing 145 pounds and 5’7″ with a scar on her right knee.
McDonnell previously served as the chief executive officer of the now-defunct Bellum Entertainment LLC, a Burbank-based production company that produced shows including I Married a Murderer and It Takes a Killer, according to KTLA.
The entertainment company was previously under investigation by the California Labor Commission for alleged wage nonpayment to dozens of its former workers, Deadline reported in 2017.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana, California, on Dec. 12, 2018, after she was charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, according to the FBI.
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Crime
PHOTOS: N10 billion Cocaine, Loud, opioids intercepted at Lagos ports as NDLEA arrests kingpins
A 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, who deals in clothing at the popular Balogun market, Lagos Island, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over an attempt to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons used to package foodstuffs going to the United Kingdom.
According to Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the agency, Onuigbo was arrested on Thursday, 23rd July 2026, following the interception of his cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Lagos airport the previous day, Wednesday 22nd July by NDLEA operatives.
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
Babafemi said in the course of investigation, three cargo agents identified as Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina; Adeleke Abiola Taoheed; and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim, who handled the shipment, were initially arrested, leading to the arrest of Kenneth Okakpu who delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for shipment to the UK.
The NDLEA spokesperson said Okakpu’s arrest provided the lead to identifying Onuigbo as the kingpin behind the syndicate and his eventual arrest while attempting to send another consignment of cocaine to the UK.
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
He mentioned that a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, also involved in illicit drug trafficking, was on Tuesday, 21st July, arrested at her Surulere, Lagos residence by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of her consignment of 2.80kg Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday, 20th July.”
NDLEA arrests Lagos businessman, others over N10 billion cocaine trafficking; intercepts consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap
In a related development, NDLEA officials seized a consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap heading to the UK. The shipment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday, 22nd July.
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A man accused of stealing cables was paraded in the Amarata area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The suspect was apprehended in the early hours of Sunday, 26th July, 2026 by a vigilante group at Ompadec, Amarata, while allegedly stealing electrical cables from a home.
According to residents, cable theft has become a recurring problem in the area, leaving them feeling vulnerable.
They expressed relief following his apprehension.
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