A Malibu resident convicted of wire fraud for misleading investors in his technology startup has been added to the FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters list, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The agency is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information that leads to his capture.
Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 65, founded StarClub Inc. in Santa Monica and persuaded people to put money into an application he said would let celebrities and influencers earn from brand promotions while sharing ad revenue. Prosecutors said he misrepresented the company's financial results to secure the funds.
Much of the more than $20 million raised went toward personal luxuries, including high-end vehicles such as a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, upgrades to a yacht, and renovations at his Malibu home near Carbon Beach, federal authorities reported.
A jury found Fritsch guilty in April 2025. He left the United States for Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, in June while awaiting sentencing and failed to appear at a bond hearing. Mexican officials later detained him on immigration violations but released him after he agreed to periodic check-ins; he departed for Munich on Oct. 6.
In his absence, a federal judge in Los Angeles imposed a 15-year prison term, a $35,000 fine, and $26.8 million in restitution. Fritsch's girlfriend, Lucinda Jane Weist Manera, 63, also of Malibu, admitted helping him evade authorities and pleaded guilty to an accessory charge.
Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said Southern California attracts fraud schemes and that the bureau would continue efforts to locate Fritsch regardless of time required. The Most Wanted Fraudsters list, launched in June, focuses on major financial fugitives and is separate from the traditional Ten Most Wanted list.
This report is based on coverage by ABC7 Los Angeles: https://abc7.com/post/malibu-man-bernhard-eugen-fritsch-fbis-most-wanted-list-allegedly-conned-investors-20-million/19789742/