FBI Adds Convicted Fraudster Bernhard Fritsch to Most Wanted List

StarClub Inc. Investment Scheme Details

At 65 years old, Fritsch established and acted as chief executive officer for StarClub Inc., a Santa Monica technology firm that government attorneys stated ran a scam investment operation between 2014 and 2017. According to the FBI and court records, Fritsch promoted the company’s application, known as StarSite, as a platform that would help celebrities and social media influencers monetize endorsements through advertising revenue sharing. Federal prosecutors determined those claims were false.

Fritsch falsely claimed that StarClub was close to entering commercial agreements, receiving investments, or facing acquisition offers from major media companies including Disney. He also told investors the company generated $15 million in revenue in 2015 and counted global investment banking firms among its financial backers.

Rather than directing investor funds toward developing the technology, Fritsch used substantial portions of the money for personal luxuries. Federal authorities stated that investor funds were used to acquire a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, make upgrades to a yacht, and renovate Fritsch’s Malibu residence near Carbon Beach. The yacht, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce were subsequently seized during the investigation. Total victim losses were ultimately estimated at approximately $26.8 million.

Trial, Conviction, and Flight to Germany

A federal jury in Los Angeles found Fritsch guilty in April 2025. While awaiting sentencing and prior to a scheduled bond revocation hearing, Fritsch fled the United States in June 2025 and traveled to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Following his failure to appear, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a federal arrest warrant.

Mexican authorities detained Fritsch in September 2025 after finding him with false identification in violation of local immigration law, according to the FBI. Although he was released from immigration custody and ordered to report to a Mexican immigration court every two weeks, Fritsch did not comply. Instead, he left Mexico and flew to Munich, Germany, on October 6, 2025.

On October 20, 2025, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison. He received a $35,000 fine and was ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution. Federal law enforcement officials believe he is currently residing in or near Munich, Germany.

Accessory Charges and International Manhunt

In June 2026, Lucinda Jane Weist Manera, 63, of Malibu, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Federal authorities identified Manera as Fritsch’s girlfriend and stated she assisted him in hiding from the FBI, evading authorities in Mexico, and fleeing to Germany to escape incarceration.

To track him down and bring him back into federal custody so he can complete his 15-year prison sentence, authorities have newly included Fritsch on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list, thereby broadening the public search campaign. Anyone with information regarding his current whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FBI or local law enforcement authorities.