Hollywood director Carl Erik Rinsch has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for defrauding streaming giant Netflix of $11 million.
The 48-year-old filmmaker, best known for his 2013 feature directorial debut, 47 Ronin, was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in December 2025.
According to prosecutors, Netflix had already paid Rinsch an estimated $44 million between 2018 and 2019 for a 12-episode series titled White Horse (later renamed Conquest). In 2020, Rinsch requested and received an additional $11 million after claiming the funds were necessary to finalise production. Instead of completing the project, Rinsch diverted the funds into a personal account to finance a lavish lifestyle, purchasing several luxury vehicles, high-end watches, and expensive household furnishings. He also used the funds to clear personal credit card debts and invest in cryptocurrency.
During the trial, Netflix executives testified that Rinsch failed to deliver any portion of the commissioned series. While defence attorneys argued that the director’s actions were influenced by severe mental health struggles, US District Judge Jed S. Rakoff stated that these challenges did not excuse the deliberate deception used to acquire the funds. Rinsch, who apologised in court and accepted responsibility, is scheduled to report to prison in September, though his legal team has indicated plans to appeal the sentence.
