LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Hollywood director Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing 47 Ronin, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after a court found him guilty of defrauding streaming giant Netflix of millions of dollars meant to complete an unfinished sci-fi series.
The 48-year-old filmmaker was found guilty of federal fraud and money laundering after prosecutors proved that he diverted production funds for personal investments and luxury purchases instead of using them to finish the science fiction series, originally titled White Horse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Jay Rakoff ordered Rinsch to serve three years of supervised release, forfeit $11 million and pay a $700 fine.
Prosecutors testified that Netflix invested about $55 million in the sci-fi project, including an extra $11 million that Rinsch requested, claiming it was needed to complete production.
Rather than spending the money on the series, prosecutors said he transferred the funds into his personal bank account and invested a large portion of it.
Nearly half of the money was reportedly lost before he moved into cryptocurrency investments and later spent millions on luxury purchases, including Rolls-Royce vehicles and expensive furniture.
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Before sentencing, Rinsch apologized in court and accepted responsibility for his actions.
Commenting on the judgment, US Attorney Jay Clayton said the case sends a strong message about financial misconduct.
During the week-long trial in New York, Netflix executives testified that the streaming platform had only commissioned one season of the series, which Rinsch never delivered.
Taking the stand in his own defence, the filmmaker argued that the money was meant to keep production alive during the COVID-19 pandemic, insisting the dispute resulted from a misunderstanding rather than criminal intent.
The trial also revisited reports about Rinsch’s behaviour after securing the Netflix deal.
According to The New York Times, friends and colleagues claimed he became increasingly erratic, allegedly saying he could predict lightning strikes and volcanic eruptions while also claiming to possess secret knowledge about how COVID-19 spread.
The high-profile case has drawn attention across the entertainment industry, spotlighting the legal consequences of misusing studio funds in major film and television productions.
