US director sentenced to 30 months for defrauding Netflix

Carl Rinsch (Hollywood Movie Director)

On Monday, New York prosecutors announced that American director Carl Rinsch has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding Netflix. 

Rinsch, best known for directing the 2013 film 47 Ronin, was convicted last year of misappropriating $11 million provided by the streaming platform in 2020 for the development of a science fiction series titled White Horse.

“Instead of using the money to make the show, Rinsch made risky bets on highly speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and spent millions of dollars on luxury goods for himself,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement.

According to prosecutors, Rinsch’s alleged purchases included luxury apparel, high-end furniture, a red Ferrari, and five Rolls-Royces. In addition to his 30-month prison term, the 48-year-old director was ordered to forfeit $11 million.

Defense attorneys had requested leniency from the presiding judge, attributing the misappropriation of funds to the "enormity of pressure" in Rinsch's career alongside an "incredibly contentious divorce."

While prosecutors did not explicitly name Netflix in the legal proceedings, Rinsch was previously reported to be locked in a dispute with the streaming giant over a planned series, which was initially titled White Horse and later renamed Conquest.

According to court documents, the show's premise centered on a scientist who creates a group of powerful clones. These clones are "banished to a walled area in a Brazilian city, where they began developing advanced technology and came into conflict with humans and each other."

Rinsch made his feature film directorial debut with 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves. Ahead of the sentencing, Reeves submitted a letter to the judge requesting "leniency and mercy" for the director, describing Rinsch as an "exceptional artist" who was prone to "self-sabotage."