FBI adds true crime TV producer accused of posing as an heiress to most wanted list
Mary Carole McDonnell, the former head of a California company that produced true crime TV shows has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list, years after being charged with portraying herself as an heiress to get millions of dollars from lenders. FBI.
(WASHINGTON) — A former TV producer whose company made true crime programs was added to the FBI’s most wanted list last week for allegedly defrauding banks for nearly $30 million by posing as an heiress.
Mary Carole McDonnell, the former CEO of Bellum Entertainment Group, which produced syndicated shows such as “Corrupt Crimes” and “Murderous Affairs,” has been on the lam for nearly seven years after the FBI charged her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Between July 2017 and May 2018, McDonnell, 73, allegedly went to the Banc of California and additional financial institutions and claimed to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access, the FBI alleged.
She allegedly obtained $29.7 million dollars in cash that she was not entitled to and did not return the money, according to the FBI.
When the bureau issued its arrest warrant on Dec. 12, 2018, McDonnell could not be found.
She is believed to be currently in Dubai, according to the FBI.
Anyone with information related to her whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
Les Wexner speaks onstage at the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards presented by Hearst Magazines – Show on June 7, 2016 in New York City. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Fragrance Foundation)
(WASHINGTON) — Members of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday are set to depose retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, whose wealth fueled Jeffrey Epstein’s fortune before an alleged multimillion dollar theft ended their relationship, newly revealed documents suggest.
After learning that Epstein stole hundreds of millions from him in 2007, Wexner opted to quietly resolve the issue with Epstein, who at the time was being investigated by federal prosecutors for both sex crimes and money laundering, according to emails and a memo later drafted by prosecutors.
A vitally important person in the transformation of Epstein from college dropout to multimillionaire adviser to the ultra-wealthy, Wexner — a businessman behind brands like Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works — has received substantial scrutiny over his association with Epstein since Epstein’s arrest and death by suicide in 2019.
Years after the two severed ties, prosecutors in New York initially included Wexner in a group of potential co-conspirators to be investigated after Epstein was arrested in July 2019, though they later determined there was “limited evidence regarding his involvement,” according to a recently-released 2019 email from an FBI agent who was part of the sex crimes investigation.
“The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect,” a spokesperson for Wexner told ABC News in a statement following the release of Epstein files by the Department of Justice last month. “Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”
Lawyers for Wexner, in a meeting with federal prosecutors about two weeks after Epstein’s arrest, claimed that Wexner “had no knowledge of any inappropriate or unlawful activity with young women by Epstein” and that Wexner’s dealings with Epstein were “more professional than social,” according to a December 2019 prosecution memo summarizing the investigation into Epstein’s potential collaborators.
Wexner’s attorneys said the two ended their relationship after Wexner learned that “Epstein had stolen or otherwise misappropriated several hundred million dollars” from him, according to the memo. The memo stated that Epstein personally profited by repeatedly purchasing properties for the Wexners before buying them for himself at a fraction of the cost.
“The Wexners then decided to cut off Epstein,” prosecutors wrote in the memo summarizing their discussion with Wexner’s counsel.
‘All I can say is I feel sorry’ Epstein was — throughout 2007 — the subject of an ongoing investigation in Florida into sex crimes involving minors that had expanded to probe potential financial crimes and money laundering. The Wexners did not report the alleged theft of their funds to law enforcement and instead resolved the matter privately, according to prosecutors.
Wexner was contacted by federal prosecutors in Florida as early as August 2007 regarding the Epstein investigation, according to handwritten notes released last month by the Department of Justice. Notes from an August 2007 call between an attorney for Wexner and a DOJ representative suggest that prosecutors inquired about Wexner’s interactions with his “money manager,” documentation of their meetings, and whether Wexner ever visited Epstein’s home.
At the time, prosecutors had begun to broaden their investigation to not only cover sex crimes but also potential money laundering and wire fraud, documents suggest.
“She just wanted to know if Les has been to my house,” Epstein emailed his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in August 2007, in an apparent reference to the prosecutor’s contact with Wexner’s lawyer, according to emails obtained by DDOSecrets, a transparency website that received a cache of Epstein emails that were not included in the DOJ’s disclosures.
“That’s odd?? Why” Maxwell responded.
“It’s bulls—, she just wanted to let him know about an investigation is my guess,” Epstein wrote back.
It is unclear if Wexner was aware of the investigation into financial crimes when his attorney was contacted, but in the following months, Wexner began the process of ending Epstein’s role as his money manager, according to emails in the DDOSecrets collection between lawyers for Epstein and Wexner.
“All I can say is I feel sorry. You violated your own number 1 rule … Always be careful,” Wexler emailed Epstein in 2008 days before Epstein reported to prison for soliciting underage sex, according to documents included in DDOSecrets collection.
“No excuse,” Epstein replied.
‘She pretty much wants everything’ According to a 2019 prosecution memo, Wexner’s wife began to look into Epstein’s management of their money after Epstein claimed he was “having legal problems involving an overly aggressive police chief and some sort of massage.”
According to the memo, Abigail Wexner discovered Epstein “misappropriated a significant amount of the family’s funds,” including by purchasing property on the Wexners’ behalf before selling it to himself at a fraction of the cost.
“When confronted, Epstein tried to convince Wexner’s wife that she did not understand the financials and insisted that he had the Wexners’ best interests at heart,” the memo said. “The Wexners did not want to bring unnecessary public attention to the issue, so they withdrew the power of attorney, and hired counsel to negotiate a private settlement with Epstein.”
Epstein resigned from the foundation and all of his roles with Wexner in September 2007, according to an independent review conducted in 2020 of Epstein’s involvement with the Wexner Foundation.
“Mr. Wexner terminated Epstein as his financial advisor, revoked his power of attorney, and directed that he be removed from all bank accounts,” a spokesperson for Wexner said in a statement to ABC News.
As early as October 2007, emails indicate that Epstein began transferring assets back to Wexner.
“When speaking with [Abigail Wexner], she pretty much wants everything,” Wexner’s financial controller told an attorney for Epstein.
Later that year, an attorney for Wexner pushed the process along, telling an attorney for Epstein that his client “is eager to execute documents,” according to the DDOSecrets cache.
Prosecutors wrote in a 2019 memo that Epstein returned $100 million to Wexner by January 2008.
Though the dispute with Wexner was privately resolved by January 2008, Epstein’s attorneys appeared to have mounted a pressure campaign to discredit the prosecutor pursuing a money laundering investigation into Epstein, according to emails in the DDOSECRETS collection. Epstein had signed a non-prosecution agreement in September 2007, but his lawyers continued to negotiate with the government over its terms for several more months.
“In what can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate Mr. Epstein, Ms. Villafana [an assistant U.S. Attorney] then added money-laundering and unlicensed wire-transmittal to the list of violations under investigation even though there was no evidence against Mr. Epstein concerning these charges,” attorneys for Epstein wrote in a letter to the Office of Professional Responsibility dated Feb. 11, 2008.
By June 2008, Epstein began his jail sentence in Palm Beach after reaching the controversial plea deal that allowed him to avoid federal charges.
‘You and I had gang stuff for over 15 years’ Although Epstein and Wexner appear to have severed ties following Epstein’s plea deal, documents released by the DOJ suggest that Epstein may have attempted to rekindle their relationship in subsequent years by drafting a letter reminding Wexner of shared experiences and alleged secrets. In the letter, Epstein wrote that he protected him when he was questioned by Wexner’s wife about his management of their money.
“You and I had ‘gang stuff’ for over 15 years. A great deal of it, that she was unaware of. I had no intention of divulging any confidence of ours, no matter what accusations she made. And she made quite a few,” Epstein wrote in the draft note. Based on publicly available documents, it is unclear whether Epstein ever sent the note to Wexner.
Wexner publicly addressed his relationship with Epstein in August 2019 amid mounting public pressure, saying in a letter to his charitable foundation that he was “deceived” by Epstein.
“As the allegations against Mr. Epstein in Florida were emerging, he vehemently denied them. But by early fall 2007, it was agreed that he should step back from the management of our personal finances. In that process, we discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family. This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now,” Wexner wrote.
In this July 9, 2022, file photo, Greg Biffle looks on during a heat race at a Camping World Superstar Racing Experience at I-55 Raceway, in Pevely, Missouri. Jeff Curry/SRX via Getty Images, FILE
(NORTH CAROLINA) — Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and members of his family died when a small plane crashed and caught fire during landing at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday, according to the family and officials.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it is awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner, but “it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane.”
Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell told ABC News five adults and two children died on the Cessna C550.
“This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words,” the Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families said in a statement.
“Greg and Cristine were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma,” the statement said. “Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.”
“Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them,” the statement continued. “Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.”
NASCAR said in a statement that it is “devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton.”
“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”
“Heartbreaking news out of Statesville,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein wrote on social media. “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and stepped up for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one in this tragic crash.”
The cause of the crash is not known, said John Ferguson, manager of the airport in Statesville, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.
The airport is closed for further notice, Ferguson said, noting that it will take time to get the debris off the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Jacob Lee Bard, 48, is accused of shooting and killing a person on the Kentucky State University campus on Dec. 9, 2025. Franklin County Jail
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — The parent of two Kentucky State University students who is accused of opening fire on campus during an altercation, killing a student and critically injuring another, has been ordered held on $1 million bond.
Jacob Lee Bard, 48, of Evansville, Indiana, was charged with murder and assault in the first degree in the shooting on Tuesday.
A not guilty plea was entered during his initial court appearance on Thursday.
According to the arrest citation for Bard, the father was involved in a “physical altercation” on the Frankfort campus before allegedly shooting two people with a handgun. Police called the shooting an “isolated” incident but have not discussed the circumstances around it or an alleged motive.
An attorney for Bard told the court on Thursday that there’s “so much more to the story than what has been brought before, even in the citation that was issued by the authorities.”
“I would argue that Mr. Bard is actually a family man,” the attorney, Mark Hall, said, noting Bard has three children, including two who attend Kentucky State University.
“I understand the serious nature of the allegations. However, I think that there’s significant defenses that Mr. Bard has that would negate and mitigate the bond,” Hall said, asking the court for a bond lower than $50,000.
Hall did not elaborate in court on the mitigating factors.
The state requested a $500,000 bond, citing the nature of the charges.
The judge ultimately set Bard’s bond for $1 million full cash. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 16.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday identified the deceased victim as 19-year-old De’Jon Darrell Fox Jr., of Indianapolis. Fox’s family told ABC Indianapolis affiliate WRTV that he was a sophomore at the university and loved being a student there.
The other victim was transported to a hospital in stable but critical condition, Frankfort police said Tuesday. The student remains in intensive care, police said Wednesday.
Police said Wednesday that authorities are investigating a video circulating online of an altercation on the campus, though he noted it is too early in the investigation to label that as the cause of the incident.
