A New York jury found the director of 47 Ronin, Carl Rinsch, guilty of defrauding Netflix of $11 million over a sci-fi show that never came to fruition. With his trial lasting just under two weeks, a New York City judge read out Rinsch’s verdict in the federal courtroom in Manhattan. With his sentencing hearing set for April 2026, Rinsch is reportedly looking to face up to 90 years in prison.
Reports claim Carl Rinsch was found guilty of scamming Netflix, faces up to 90 years in prison
According to multiple reports, Carl Rinsch could face prison time after allegedly scamming Netflix out of $11 million. He reportedly took the money from Netflix to complete the production of a show, but used the funds for stock investments, cars, and other luxury purchases. After the verdict, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “Carl Erik Rinsch took $11 million meant for a TV show and gambled it on speculative stock options and crypto transactions.”
“Today’s conviction shows that when someone steals from investors, we will follow the money and hold them accountable,” he added. As per AP News, Benjamin Zeman, Rinsch’s attorney, said that he thought the verdict was wrong, and “could set a dangerous precedent for artists who become embroiled in contractual and creative disputes with their benefactors, in this case one of the largest media companies in the world, finding themselves indicted by the federal government for fraud.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors reportedly said that Netflix first paid Rinsch $44 million for the production of a series called White Horse and then an additional $11 million requested by Rinsch to wrap up production. However, Rinsch spent more than half the money on a series of failed investments, after which he invested the rest in crypto and held the profit in his own account. Ultimately, Rinsch never completed production of the show.
Originally reported by Elton Fernandes on ComingSoon.
