The opulent mansion in Calabasas, California, often served as the venue for glamorous parties attended by models and businessmen, symbolizing the pinnacle of the American dream.

This mansion, once rumored to be a residence of Kylie Jenner, was the home of Filipino-American former athlete and actor, David Bunevacz, and his family.

Yet, this life of luxury, which impressed and lured investors, was built on a crumbling foundation of debt, deceit, and a massive Ponzi scheme.

From Track Star to Con Artist

David Bunevacz was born in Los Angeles in 1968 to a Hungarian father (a restaurant owner) and a Filipina mother (a nurse).

Influenced by his father, a track and field instructor, David excelled in sports, particularly the decathlon. Throughout high school and college at UCLA, he racked up numerous awards, setting school records in high jump and javelin throw.

His athletic prowess led him to represent the Philippines in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, where he won a silver medal in 1997.

After his athletic career plateaued, Bunevacz pivoted to the Philippines’ entertainment industry, becoming an actor and TV host. He married actress and model Jessica Rodriguez in October 2000, creating a celebrated celebrity “power couple.”

The couple and their children relocated to California, eventually settling in a Calabasas mansion—an exclusive neighborhood favored by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Will Smith for its security and views.

Here, they lived extravagantly. They renewed their vows in a lavish ceremony at the Peninsula Hotel, with Jessica wearing a custom Monique Lhuillier gown and Bunevacz sporting a Gucci suit.

The Roots of Greed and Deceit

Despite the veneer of success, Bunevacz was reportedly consumed by a deep-seated fear of poverty, stemming from his childhood.

His father’s restaurant business had failed, forcing the family into bankruptcy and exhausting the parents’ retirement savings. This early trauma instilled in David a powerful drive for unearned wealth.

Investigators later labeled Bunevacz a sophisticated “con artist” who expertly leveraged his charisma and education. His record of theft began as early as 1993, briefly pausing during his athletic and acting career.

The controversy flared up publicly in 1999 when his then-girlfriend, actress Anjanette Abayari, was arrested in Guam with a controlled substance in her luggage.

Abayari accused Bunevacz of planting the substance to facilitate the sale of her property without her consent—a chilling indication of his ruthless manipulation.

Years later, Bunevacz and Jessica established a high-end cosmetic clinic in Makati, Beverly Hills 675. Investors were quickly alarmed, noting that while the clinic generated no visible profits, the couple’s personal wealth and extravagant spending continued to soar.

The scandal intensified when Bunevacz gifted Jessica a new BMW for their anniversary, prompting investors to accuse the couple of fraud. Before the situation could escalate further, the Bunevacz family suddenly relocated to the US, claiming it was for annual Christmas celebrations and Jessica’s surgery recovery.

However, US authorities’ investigations confirmed that Bunevacz was operating a long-running Ponzi scheme.

The $35 Million Ponzi Facade

Bunevacz’s modus operandi relied on his background: he held a degree in Business Management with Psychology. Experts noted that he used his psychological training to identify and manipulate victims desperate for quick riches.

His scheme revolved around fake, yet officially registered, companies dealing in high-growth industries like CBD oil, Vape products, Iron Sand Mining, and even Olympic tickets.

A key victim, ticket reseller Jan Hammett, gave Bunevacz $1 million for 17,000 tickets to the 2010 Winter Olympics. The tickets never materialized, and Bunevacz vanished with the money.

Hammett’s subsequent legal fight forced Bunevacz to pay a partial restitution of $25,000, but Hammett had to sell his house and business to cover his losses.

Bunevacz was undeterred, moving on to defraud investors in CBD and Vape businesses. He used the incoming funds from new victims to pay initial “returns” to early investors—the classic Ponzi mechanism—to maintain the illusion of profitability.

The true core of the fraud lay in the Bunevacz family’s lifestyle. Friends like Meredith and Tom were impressed by their “Crazy Rich Asians” persona, which included:

Lavish Travel: Private jet trips to the Bahamas for anniversaries.

Ostentatious Gifts: White-themed parties where Jessica gifted guests $5,000 cash each and gold hoop earrings from Tiffany & Co.

Unusual Assets: A half-million-dollar horse for his daughter’s equestrian hobby.

Meredith and Tom were so convinced they invested their life savings of $250,000. They learned too late that Bunevacz’s companies existed only on paper.

Investigators confirmed Bunevacz stole over $35 million USD from more than 100 victims, using the money to finance the $17,000-a-month Calabasas mansion, Jessica’s luxury bags, and his severe gambling addiction—reportedly blowing through over $8 million in casinos alone.

The Final Reckoning

Quietly, authorities began closing in. In 2020, Bunevacz’s bank records were subpoenaed. In 2021, the FBI contacted the victims.

On the morning of April 5, 2022, FBI agents arrived at the Calabasas mansion. Bunevacz surrendered without resistance.

He quickly accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to fraud in July 2022. The presiding judge, Dale Fisher of the Central District of California, noted Bunevacz’s utter lack of remorse, observing he only regretted being caught, not the ruin he caused his victims.

The judge sentenced David Bunevacz to 17.5 years imprisonment and ordered him to pay $35 million in restitution. He was immediately transferred to Terminal Island, a low-security prison.

Following his arrest, Jessica and her daughter, Briana, moved out of the Calabasas mansion, relocating to a smaller house in Palmdale. Briana began working to support the family.

Jessica maintained that she was unaware of her husband’s crimes, asserting that David was solely responsible.

She later admitted to dealing with the immense emotional toll and confessed to considering self-harm due to the shame and debt, but she found strength through her faith and children.

The case stands as a powerful cautionary tale of an athlete who chose greed over integrity, manipulating his public life to orchestrate one of the largest Ponzi schemes in recent history.