Add The California Post on Google A fugitive Malibu tech CEO has been brazenly flaunting his luxury life in Bavaria on Instagram while dodging a 15-year federal prison sentence — as his Hollywood actress girlfriend admitted helping him evade authorities and now faces years behind bars herself.
Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 64, has continued posting photos and videos from Bavaria, Germany, showing himself enjoying the Alpine region, months after disappearing and failing to show up for a court hearing in his multimillion-dollar fraud case.
His public posts include Easter greetings from the Bavarian Alps and other updates from Germany, where he remains beyond the reach of U.S. authorities. In one post, he shows off a bottle of Don Papa Port Casks—a limited-edition rum—worth $10,000.
But while Fritsch appears to be enjoying life abroad, it’s his girlfriend, actress Lucinda Manera, who has now pleaded guilty to helping him stay on the run.
Federal prosecutors said Manera, 63, admitted to one felony count of being an accessory after the fact after helping Fritsch avoid arrest following his conviction in a scheme that defrauded investors out of more than $20 million. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5 and faces up to five years in federal prison.
According to her plea agreement, Manera lied to FBI agents about when she last communicated with Fritsch and helped bankroll his escape after he fled the United States by car into Mexico on June 2, 2025, rather than appearing in court, prosecutors said.
She also authorized at least 10 payments totaling roughly $7,475 to a person who was housing Fritsch in Mexico, along with another payment for his hotel, according to prosecutors.
Authorities further alleged she researched how Fritsch could travel from Mexico to his native Germany, a country that generally does not extradite its own citizens.
A federal jury found Fritsch guilty in April 2025 of wire fraud tied to his Santa Monica-based company, StarClub Inc., which promised investors its StarSite app would revolutionize celebrity endorsements on social media.
The flashy entrepreneur also cultivated a celebrity image around StarClub, hosting glitzy Hollywood events attended by stars like Tyrese Gibson.
Prosecutors said he falsely claimed the company had major media deals, lucrative buyout offers and millions in revenue to persuade investors to hand over more than $20 million.
Instead of using the money to build the business, prosecutors said Fritsch spent much of it enriching himself, purchasing luxury vehicles including a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, renovating his Malibu mansion near Carbon Beach and upgrading his yacht.
Federal authorities later seized the luxury cars and yacht.
After fleeing, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay more than $26.8 million in restitution and fined $35,000.
His appeal was later dismissed because he remains a fugitive, although court records state he could seek to revive it if he surrenders by the court’s deadline.
