By Jorge Casuso

September 4, 2026 – The owner of a Santa Monica-based tech company has been placed on the FBI's new Most Wanted Fraudsters list after defrauding investors of more than $26 million and fleeing the country, FBI officials announced Thursday.

Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 65, the founder and CEO of StarClub Inc., was charged in Los Angeles Federal Court in August 2017 with wire fraud,

after raising approximately $35 million for the company between January of 2014 and August of 2017, according to FBI officials.

Fritsch, who is a native of Germany, "convinced victims to invest in his company’s application, known as StarSite, technology (which) he claimed could help celebrities and social media influencers monetize their brand endorsements," FBI officials said. "He also claimed the app would deliver advertising content and share ad revenue with the celebrity poster." 

Fritsch made "several false and fraudulent claims" in his pitch to investors, including that the company had earned $15 million in revenues in 2015 and that its "current investors included major media companies and a global investment banking firm,"officials said.

He also told potential investors that StarClub Inc. was "on the verge of entering into commercial deals with or obtaining investments and buyout offers from major media companies," including Disney.

At least $7.3 million of investor money was used by Fritsch "to enrich himself and support his luxurious lifestyle," officials said.

Fritsch used the money to fund personal expenses that included "purchasing luxury cars such as a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce," "upgrading his yacht" and "renovating his Malibu mansion" near Carbon Beach, FBI officials said, noting the agency seized the yacht, the McLaren and the Rolls-Royce.

Prosecutors estimate Fritsch's victims lost at least some $26.8 million, with one investor losing more than $20 million over the course of two years, while introducing Fritsch to other victims who invested millions more in the company.

The FBI is offering up to $150,000 in exchange for information leading to his apprehension and conviction, officials said.

“Placing Fritsch on the Most Wanted Fraudsters list reflects our commitment to pursue those who attempt to outrun the law," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California.. "Fleeing the United States will not shield him from justice. We will find him and he will answer for his conduct in a court of law.”

Shortly after being found guilty of wire fraud by a jury in Los Angeles in April 2025, Fritsch fled to Sinaloa, Mexico in June 2025. He fled Mexico and is believed to have been residing in or near Munich, Germany since October 6, FBI officials said.

On October 20, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison, fined $35,000, and was later ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution.

Anyone with information concerning the case should contact the FBI's Toll-Free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.