Carl Rinsch sentenced to 2.5 years for defrauding Netflix

Filmmaker Carl Rinsch, director of the 2013 fantasy film 47 Ronin, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison and ordered to pay $11 million in restitution for defrauding Netflix. In December 2025, he was found guilty of wire fraud and money laundering. Netflix hired Rinsch in 2018 to create a sci-fi series titled White Horse (later Conquest), granting him full creative control. After an initial investment of approximately $40 million, Rinsch claimed in 2020 that he needed an additional $11 million to complete the series. Instead, he transferred the funds from his production company account to a personal account, spending the money on luxury personal purchases and cryptocurrency investments. No episodes of the series were ever completed. Rinsch's lawyers argued that his actions were linked to mental health issues and medication, and Rinsch apologized in court. The sentence also mandates participation in mental health therapy and abstention from psychoactive substances. Actor Keanu Reeves, a friend who worked with Rinsch on 47 Ronin, testified on his behalf, hoping for leniency. The sentencing took place on June 29, 2026, in a New York court.