Malibu fraudster’s girlfriend pleads guilty

By Judy Abel · Sun Jul 19 2026

A Malibu woman has admitted to helping her boyfriend, convicted fraudster Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, evade federal authorities after he fled the United States to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.

Lucinda Jane Weist Manera, 63, pleaded guilty June 29 to one felony count of accessory after the fact, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Prosecutors allege Manera assisted Fritsch after he was convicted in April 2025 of wire fraud for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded investors out of more than $20 million. 

Fritsch, 64, founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based StarClub Inc., convinced investors between 2014 and 2017 to pour money into his celebrity-focused social media platform, StarSite. Federal prosecutors said he falsely claimed the company was generating millions in revenue and was on the verge of major deals with media giants, including Disney. Instead, much of the money was allegedly spent on a lavish lifestyle that included luxury vehicles, yacht repairs, and renovations to his oceanfront mansion near Carbon Beach. Authorities estimate investor losses exceeded $25 million. 

Following his conviction, Fritsch was released on bond pending sentencing. Prosecutors say he drove across the U.S.-Mexico border in June 2025 rather than appear in court for a hearing where he was expected to be taken into custody. Manera admitted she lied to FBI agents, paid nearly $8,000 to support Fritsch while he was hiding in Mexico, and researched ways for him to travel to his native Germany, where he remains. Germany generally does not extradite its own citizens. 

In October 2025, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison, ordered to pay more than $26.8 million in restitution, and fined $35,000. Authorities continue to seek his surrender. Manera faces up to five years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5.