Convicted Fraudster Bernhard Eugen Fritsch Sought by FBI After Flight to Germany

Sep 27

FBI Most Wanted Fraudster

Bernhard Eugen Fritsch is wanted by the FBI after being convicted in a multimillion-dollar investment fraud case involving his technology company, StarClub Inc. Federal authorities say Fritsch raised approximately $35 million for the company between January 2014 and August 2017 while making false representations about its financial performance and business relationships. A federal jury in Los Angeles found him guilty of wire fraud in April 2025, but Fritsch fled the United States before he could be sentenced. The FBI is now offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. FBI

StarClub and the Investment Operation

Fritsch was the founder and CEO of StarClub Inc., a technology company based in Santa Monica, California. The company promoted technology known as StarSite, which was presented as a way for celebrities and social media influencers to monetize brand endorsements and share advertising revenue. While seeking investment money, Fritsch claimed StarClub was developing valuable technology and had significant opportunities involving major companies in the entertainment and media industries. Federal prosecutors ultimately accused him of using false information about StarClub's finances and business prospects to persuade investors to provide millions of dollars. FBI

According to the FBI, Fritsch claimed that StarClub was close to entering commercial agreements, receiving investments, or obtaining buyout offers from major media companies. He also made representations about the company's revenue and the identities of existing investors that prosecutors said were false. One victim invested more than $20 million in StarClub over approximately two years based on Fritsch's representations and introduced him to other people who subsequently invested millions more. Prosecutors estimated the resulting victim losses at approximately $26.8 million. FBI

Investor Money Used for Personal Expenses

Federal authorities say substantial amounts of investor money were diverted away from the purposes represented to investors. According to the FBI's current wanted profile, at least $7.3 million in investor funds was used to pay Fritsch's personal expenses, including mortgage payments, residential expenses, and luxury vehicles. Investigators alleged that money intended to support StarClub's technology instead helped finance an expensive personal lifestyle. These allegations became a central part of the federal fraud prosecution that ultimately resulted in Fritsch's conviction. FBI

The FBI has provided additional details about those expenditures, stating that Fritsch used investor money for luxury vehicles including a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, upgrades to a yacht, and renovations to his Malibu residence near Carbon Beach. Federal authorities seized the yacht, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce during the investigation. Those assets became visible examples of how prosecutors said investor money was diverted for Fritsch's personal benefit. The government ultimately sought substantial restitution based on the losses attributed to the scheme. FBI

Convicted of Wire Fraud

Fritsch's case differs from many FBI fugitive investigations because he has already been tried and convicted of the underlying fraud offense. In April 2025, a federal jury in Los Angeles found him guilty of wire fraud following the government's prosecution of the StarClub investment scheme. He remained outside custody while awaiting further proceedings, including sentencing. His subsequent disappearance transformed the case from a completed fraud trial into an international fugitive investigation. FBI

The FBI currently lists Fritsch as wanted for failure to appear in connection with the wire fraud case. His federal wanted status stems from his failure to appear for a post-conviction bond revocation hearing after the jury returned its guilty verdict. Authorities have continued pursuing him despite his departure from the United States. The FBI's Los Angeles Field Office is responsible for the fugitive investigation. FBI

Flight to Mexico

In June 2025, before a scheduled bond revocation hearing, Fritsch fled to Los Mochis in Sinaloa, Mexico. On June 3, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a federal arrest warrant after he failed to appear for his post-conviction bond revocation hearing. His departure initiated an international effort to locate him and return him to federal custody. Investigators eventually determined that Fritsch was still in Mexico several months after his disappearance. FBI

Mexican law enforcement detained Fritsch in September 2025, and authorities discovered that he possessed false identification. According to the FBI, he was released from immigration custody and ordered to report to a Mexican immigration court every two weeks. Rather than continuing to comply with those requirements, authorities say Fritsch fled Mexico. His movements subsequently took the investigation from North America to Europe. FBI

Fled to Munich, Germany

The FBI says Fritsch fled to Munich, Germany, on October 6, 2025. Germany is his country of birth and nationality, potentially providing him with personal connections and familiarity that could assist him while outside the United States. The FBI currently believes Fritsch is residing in or near Munich and is asking people in Germany and elsewhere to report information concerning his whereabouts. His location in Europe has made international cooperation an important component of the continuing fugitive investigation. FBI

Federal authorities have also prosecuted someone accused of helping Fritsch remain outside custody. In June 2026, Fritsch's girlfriend, Lucinda Jane Weist Manera of Malibu, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. According to the FBI, she admitted helping Fritsch hide from authorities in Mexico and then flee to his native Germany to avoid incarceration. That prosecution demonstrates that investigators have also focused on the support network authorities say assisted Fritsch after his disappearance. FBI

Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

Fritsch's flight did not prevent the federal court from imposing a sentence. On October 20, 2025, he was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison. The court also imposed a $35,000 fine, and Fritsch was later ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution. He remains responsible for serving the federal prison sentence if apprehended and returned to U.S. custody. FBI

The restitution order reflects the substantial financial losses attributed to the StarClub fraud operation. Prosecutors estimated that Fritsch caused approximately $26.8 million in victim losses, even though the FBI says StarClub raised approximately $35 million during the relevant period. The difference highlights the distinction between the total amount raised through the company and the loss amount calculated for purposes of the criminal case. His conviction and sentence are established court outcomes rather than unresolved allegations concerning the underlying wire fraud offense. FBI

FBI Description of Bernhard Eugen Fritsch

The FBI lists Fritsch's date of birth as July 27, 1961, and his birthplace as Landshut, Germany. He is described as a white male with gray-brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 220 pounds. His nationality is German, and the FBI says he speaks both English and German. These characteristics, together with the photographs released by the Bureau, are intended to help people recognize him despite the passage of time. FBI

The FBI lists several alternate names associated with Fritsch. His aliases include Bernhard Fritsch, Bernhard E. Fritsch, Barnhard Eugen Fritsch, and Charles Wiest. Alternate identities can be particularly relevant in an international fugitive investigation because a wanted person may not use the same name in every country or interaction. Authorities have already documented that Fritsch possessed false identification when Mexican law enforcement detained him in 2025. FBI

Added to FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters List

On September 3, 2026, the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office announced that Fritsch had been added to the Bureau's newly created Most Wanted Fraudsters list. The specialized list is separate from the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program and concentrates specifically on fugitives associated with major fraud cases. Authorities use the list to increase public awareness, distribute photographs and identifying information, and generate new leads concerning fugitives whose cases involve substantial financial crimes. Fritsch remains one of 12 people currently featured in the category. FBI

His inclusion also gives greater international visibility to the search in Germany. Because the FBI believes Fritsch may be living in or around Munich, people who have encountered him in Germany could possess information that American investigators do not have. A person does not necessarily need to know about the StarClub case to recognize Fritsch from his photographs. Information concerning an address, workplace, vehicle, telephone number, associate, or recent sighting could potentially help investigators locate him.

$150,000 FBI Reward

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Bernhard Eugen Fritsch. The reward accompanies the Bureau's public campaign to locate members of its Most Wanted Fraudsters list. Authorities are particularly interested in information that can establish where Fritsch currently lives or identify people assisting him. The FBI believes he remains in or near Munich, but information from anywhere may be relevant to the investigation. FBI

Anyone with information can contact the FBI through its toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. People may also contact an FBI field office, while individuals outside the United States can provide information through the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Tips can additionally be submitted through the FBI's official online reporting system. Members of the public should leave efforts to locate or apprehend Fritsch to law-enforcement authorities.

International Search Continues

Bernhard Eugen Fritsch remains wanted as the FBI continues its effort to locate him and enforce the sentence imposed following his wire fraud conviction. His case has moved through several stages: the alleged StarClub investment fraud, a federal prosecution and jury conviction, flight from the United States, detention in Mexico, another escape to Germany, and finally a 15-year sentence imposed while he remained outside federal custody. Investigators now believe the search is centered on Munich or the surrounding area. The $150,000 reward remains available for qualifying information leading to his arrest and conviction. FBI