Netflix Fraud Sentence

Hollywood writer-director Carl Rinsch was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 30 months in prison after a jury convicted him of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million tied to an unfinished science-fiction series. Prosecutors said Rinsch diverted money meant for the show, known as “White Horse” and later “Conquest,” into personal spending including cars, cryptocurrency and luxury items instead of completing the production. Rinsch, best known for directing “47 Ronin,” was also ordered to serve supervised release, while Judge Jed S. Rakoff rejected pleas for leniency, including a request from Keanu Reeves. The case centered on Netflix’s investment in a project that never materialized and became a high-profile fraud prosecution involving Hollywood financing.