Carl Rinsch Sentenced to 2.5 Years for Defrauding Netflix of $11 Million
The sentence closes a high-profile case in which a Hollywood director misused studio funds for personal luxury purchases, with Netflix as the victim.
Reporting from 1 sources: Cinema Today.
Carl Rinsch, director of '47RONIN', was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for defrauding Netflix of $11 million. He received the money for a sci-fi drama but spent it on cars, cryptocurrency, and personal expenses. The court also ordered him to repay the full amount. The defense plans to appeal.
Carl Rinsch, best known for directing the 2013 film '47RONIN', was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on Tuesday for defrauding Netflix of $11 million. The money was part of a larger $44 million budget Netflix gave Rinsch between 2018 and 2019 for a sci-fi drama called 'White Horse' (working title). When Rinsch asked for an additional $11 million in 2020 to finish the project, he instead transferred the funds to his personal account, lost half in failed investments, and put the rest into cryptocurrency. He then bought five Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, luxury watches, and clothing, and paid off $1.8 million in credit card debt. The prosecution had asked for five years. The court also ordered Rinsch to repay the $11 million. Keanu Reeves, who starred in '47RONIN', sent a letter asking for leniency. The defense plans to appeal.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Cinema Today 『47RONIN』監督が禁錮2年半 Netflixから金をだまし取る