Director Carl Rinsch receives lengthy prison sentence for defrauding Netlfix of $11m
Director Carl Rinsch has received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for defrauding Netflix.
The filmmaker and writer, who created the 2013 film 47 Ronin, was found guilty of defrauding Netflix out of $11m in relation to an unfinished sci-fi series, titled White Horse.
Rinsch was accused of using Netflix’s money for personal gain, including spending the funds on cryptocurrency, luxury cars, watches, and astonishingly, £638,000 on two mattresses.
In addition to his prison sentence, Rinsch is also facing three years of supervised release, $11m in forfeitures, and a $700 fine.
In court, Rinsch made the unusual decision for a defendant in a criminal case to take to the stand, admitting, “This process has forced me to confront things about my health, my judgment and my life.”
He also apologised for any “real harm was caused” by his behaviour, before adding (per The Guardian), “I failed to recognise the danger of the state I was in.”
Notably, during the trial, which lasted a week, Keanu Reeves, who starred in 47 Ronin, wrote a letter on behalf of Rinsch, revealing he made “an effort in 2019 to get Carl some support by means of an intervention and professional mental health care, which Carl rejected”.
He also described the director as a person who could “bring exceptional joy and warmth to the people around him”, but noted Rinsch “can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated”.
A prison sentence of between nine to 11 years had been recomended, but judges took into account the positve references in Rinsch’s favour along with his lack of a prior criminal record.
The judge told the court, “Mr Rinsch is a very talented person who will still find ways to make use of those talents once released from prison. But he had no reason to do this. He chose to do this and covered it up for years.”
Rinsch has been granted 60-days before he needs to report to prison on September 1st, 2026.
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