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According to the lawsuit, Sterling is accused of siphoning “millions of dollars” out of Brunner during a decade-long relationship, and Brunner believes he was the victim of fraud.
Melanie Beth Sterling and Fred Brunner met each other in 2014. Sterling was working at the facility as a dancer, and Brunner was a businessman working in Arkansas. Brunner was reportedly going through a divorce when he visited the strip club in Vegas. Sterling approached him, offered him a dance, and talked to Brunner privately. That’s when she allegedly learned that Brunner was far wealthier than the average patron.
Sterling gave Brunner her phone number and pursued a relationship with him. While she claims that the two reportedly fell for each other and kicked off a long-term relationship, he claims that she started the relationship to intentionally defraud him.
Over the next ten years, Sterling reportedly asked for financial support at least 100 times. Brunner later found out that much of those funds went towards financing a $720,000 home in Sterling’s name. Even more money went towards luxury dinners, vacations, parties, and lavish purchases. In total, Brunner sent Sterling around $2.1 million.
Sterling argues that Brunner simply gave her the money because he was generous with his wealth. The two were never married, never lived together, and were never engaged. In 2024, they broke up. Brunner allegedly asked Sterling to take him back and when she didn’t, he filed the lawsuit.
Reports show that there are four different versions of civil lawsuits against Sterling. Three of the pending lawsuits are in Arkansas and one is in Nevada.
In Las Vegas, fraud can be pursued as a criminal or civil offense. Civil fraud leads to a lawsuit where one party must prove that the other party misrepresented a fact that resulted in financial harm.
Similarly, criminal fraud is also defined as misrepresenting a fact to deceive someone, which results in financial harm or property loss.
The main difference between civil fraud and criminal fraud is the penalties associated with them, the burden of proof, and the courts they’ll be tried in. Civil fraud is punishable with monetary settlements or court orders to pay back the damages to the victim. Criminal fraud, however, might result in jail time, monetary fines, and other consequences like probation or community service. With civil fraud, the accusing party has to prove their arguments based on a preponderance of evidence, and with criminal fraud, the charges must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Are you potentially facing criminal or civil fraud charges? If so, then it’s best to get in touch with a lawyer who can help you determine your next steps. Our Las Vegas legal team is prepared to help you navigate your situation.
Schedule a free case review with our legal team now by leaving your contact details on our online form.
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