Mary Carole McDonnell was once known in television circles as the head of Bellum Entertainment, a production company behind true-crime programming and the upbeat home-renovation series “Fix It & Finish It.” Now, the former media executive is wanted by the FBI in connection with a federal fraud case prosecutors say involved millions of dollars.
Federal authorities claim McDonnell left for Dubai after allegedly securing a $15 million loan through false statements about an $80 million trust and forged trust-company paperwork. According to prosecutors, Banc of California ultimately released about $14.7 million. The former host of Bellum’s makeover series said he was stunned when a reporter contacted him about the allegations this week.
Antonio Sabato Jr., who fronted the syndicated home improvement show “Fix It & Finish It,” said he was shocked to hear that McDonnell — whom he recalled as the key business figure behind the program — had become the focus of a federal criminal case.
“I didn’t know anything at all until you guys called,” Sabato told News Outlet.
FBI fugitive Mary Carole McDonnell is accused of leading an extensive financial fraud scheme in Southern California. (FBI)
McDonnell was indicted in federal court in 2018 on five bank fraud counts and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The FBI says McDonnell is wanted on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges tied to the alleged scheme, which investigators say unfolded across Los Angeles and Orange counties from July 2017 through May 2018.
Authorities allege Mary McDonnell carried out fraud in Los Angeles, California. (iStock)
“Beginning in approximately July 2017 and continuing to May of 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California,” the FBI said.
Federal investigators say McDonnell posed as an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft family and falsely claimed she would eventually gain access to an $80 million secret trust.
She was allegedly able to obtain approximately $14.7 million from Banc of California, although she knew she was not authorized and did not repay it. She used similar methods to defraud other financial institutions of more than $15 million, according to the FBI.
The bureau’s active wanted notice says the agency believes she is currently in Dubai. A federal arrest warrant for McDonnell was issued on Dec. 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Sabato told News Outlet he was hired as the host, creator and producer of “Fix It & Finish It” and was not involved in Bellum’s finances. The series sent him and a small crew from city to city to renovate homes for families in need, he said.
Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. leaves Planet Hollywood Times Square on September 4, 2014 in New York City. (Ray Tamarra/GC Images)
He described the show as physically demanding but deeply meaningful work, with the team completing a different home project each weekday.
“It was called ‘Fix It & Finish It,’ but it was really fixing their souls,” Sabato said. “I’ve seen grown men, grown women, just [in] tears.”
Sabato said he had no firsthand knowledge of the allegations against McDonnell and did not see warning signs at the time. He also said he was never contacted by the FBI or other federal investigators after the indictment against McDonnell was filed.
Instead, he said, he remembered McDonnell as a polished executive who spoke about Bellum’s shows and the potential of the renovation series during meetings at the company’s Burbank office.
Sabato said the show’s sudden end had long puzzled him and now he was left “speechless” after learning the extent of McDonnell’s alleged fraud.
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“It felt weird,” Sabato said when Bellum canceled the hit renovation series. “And I said, something’s going on. I just felt something was up. And then my producer called me and said that they pulled the plug.”
He said the criminal case has now given him a new context for the company’s financial troubles.
“I would want to ask her someday, ‘Why did you do that? Why would you go and create this hell?'”
News Outlet has reached out to U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Banc of California and the FBI’s Los Angeles field office for comment. An attorney for McDonnell was not immediately available.
Investigators say they believe that McDonnell is currently in Dubai and describe her as a White female, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a scar on her right knee.
Mary McDonnell allegedly fled to Dubai. (Reuters)
Anyone with information on McDonnell’s whereabouts is urged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.
