June 30 (THEWILL) — Hollywood director, Carl Erik Rinsch, was sentenced on June 29, 2026, to two and a half years in federal prison for defrauding Netflix of $11 million meant for a science fiction series.
He was also ordered to pay $11 million in forfeiture, serve three years of supervised release, and pay a $700 fine. He is expected to start his prison term in September 2026.
Rinsch, best known for the 2013 film “47 Ronin”, was accused of misusing funds given by Netflix for a sci-fi project called White Horse.
Prosecutors said Netflix first gave him about $44 million to develop and produce the series. In 2020, he asked for an extra $11 million, saying it was needed to finish the show. Instead, prosecutors said the money was moved into his personal account.
Authorities said he spent the funds on luxury items and personal expenses. This included five Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, about $652,000 on luxury watches, clothing, mattresses, and bedding, and about $1.8 million on personal credit card debt.
Prosecutors said part of the remaining funds was lost through risky cryptocurrency and stock investments.
During sentencing, Rinsch apologised and said he accepted responsibility for his actions. His lawyers asked for a lighter sentence, saying he had been dealing with serious mental health and medication issues at the time.
Judge Jed S. Rakoff said he understood these issues, but added that they did not excuse fraud. He said they may have helped reduce the sentence to 30 months, instead of the five years prosecutors had asked for.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
