FBI hunts German investment fraudster Fritsch – 15 years imprisonment in absentia
German national Bernhard Eugen Fritsch is on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. He is alleged to have defrauded investors of millions and fled to Munich.
Convicted multi-million fraudster on FBI wanted list – trail leads to Munich
The 65-year-old German Bernhard Eugen Fritsch is on the FBI's public "Most Wanted" list. According to BILD, he was found guilty of fraud by a jury in Los Angeles in April 2025 – and fled to Mexico prior to sentencing, subsequently to Germany.
Fritsch, originally from Landshut, moved to the United States in the 1990s. There he founded the company StarClub and moved in circles with celebrities from entertainment and music, including Michael Jackson and Wesley Snipes. To investors, he claimed to have developed software intended to help stars and influencers make money through online advertising.
The FBI states in its public wanted notice: "Fritsch claimed to have agreements with major global media and entertainment companies, and misrepresented StarClub's financial performance in order to promote investments." According to the agency, he spent at least 7.3 million dollars on personal expenses – including mortgage payments, housing costs and luxury vehicles. According to US media, he renovated a villa in Malibu and had a yacht refitted.
After the guilty verdict, Fritsch was allowed to remain free on conditions pending sentencing. Before a hearing in June 2025, he fled – also known under the name Charles Wiest – to Los Mochis in Mexico. There, Mexican authorities arrested him in September 2025 on charges of forged identity documents. Although he was released, he failed to report as required every two weeks to the immigration court. On 6 October, he fled further to Munich, according to the FBI.
A US court announced the sentence in Fritsch's absence: 15 years imprisonment, a fine of 35,000 dollars and damages of nearly 27 million dollars.
The FBI has offered a reward of up to 150,000 dollars for information leading to his arrest. According to BILD, Fritsch's wife, actress Lucinda Wiest Maneira, admitted to helping him escape – she faces up to five years imprisonment.
Extradition to the United States is considered unlikely. Under the German-American extradition treaty, Germany is not required to comply. Article 16 of the German Constitution (Grundgesetz) excludes the extradition of German citizens abroad in principle – with exceptions for transfers to EU member states or international courts, provided that the rule of law principles are observed.
Source: BILD