Key Points
47 Ronin director Carl Rinsch was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on Monday for defrauding Netflix.
Rinsch stole $11 million from the streamer while in production of a never-finished sci-fi series, White Horse.
Keanu Reeves, who starred in 47 Ronin, wrote a letter of support for Rinsch ahead of his sentencing.
After receiving a letter of support from high-profile actor Keanu Reeves, director Carl Rinsch was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in jail for defrauding Netflix of millions of dollars.
Rinsch, best known for his work in commercials and his 2013 film 47 Ronin (starring Reeves), was convicted of one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity in December 2025.
He will now serve prison time after being convicted of stealing $11 million from Netflix for a never-finished sci-fi series titled White Horse. On Monday, prosecutors said Netflix initially paid Rinsch about $44 million for the show in 2018 and 2019, and also provided the extra $11 million in 2020 after he said he needed more money to wrap up production.
Rinsch then reportedly diverted that sum from the streaming service into a personal account and ultimately spent large sums on luxury cars and household goods, including $638,000 on two mattresses and $652,000 on watches and clothes.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out for confirmation on sentencing in the case.
According to ABC News, Rinsch, 48, and his lawyers told the court on Monday that his behavior was fueled by mental health struggles and medication problems. He is now allegedly addressing those issues with a new health care provider.
“This process has forced me to confront things about my health, my judgment and my life,” Rinsch reportedly said before apologizing for his behavior and acknowledging that “real harm was caused.”
“I failed to recognize the danger of the state I was in,” he added, according to ABC News, although his lawyers declined to detail his psychological issues.
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff said Rinsch’s mental health difficulties “may explain some of the excesses” but don’t “detract from the court’s conclusion that he was determined to lie to get substantial monies from Netflix, lie to cover it up.”
(L to R) Director Carl Rinsch with Hiroyuki Sanada and Keanu Reeves on the set of ’47 Ronin’
Credit: Frank Connor/Universal
Prior to his 2.5-year sentencing, prosecutors reportedly argued that Rinsch should serve five years in prison as his motive “was naked greed.” (He originally faced up to 90 years behind bars.)
“Mr. Rinsch had every possible advantage,” prosecutor David Markewitz said, including family money, a high-level education, famous friends, and a lucrative career.
Before his sentencing, Reeves wrote a letter asking for “leniency and mercy as well as justice” in court documents obtained and reviewed by Entertainment Weekly in May.
Reeves wrote that he has known the director for 15 years, and called Rinsch “an exceptional artist.”
“I am, of course, not a therapist or psychologist. I write instead as an artistic peer of Carl’s, and as a friend,” Reeves said. “In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope, and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds. I do not intend to share this as an excuse or diminishment of what he was found to have done, but offer this solely as perhaps an insight into why.”
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Reeves concluded the letter by saying he has seen Rinsch “bring exceptional joy and warmth to people around him” and “bring creative inspiration to others through his creativity and vision.”
“I hope you are able to find leniency for this man,” the John Wick star added. “To the extent you deem appropriate, I believe such leniency would be a healing act, to go along with the punishment he will live with.”
Rinsch will report to jail in September to serve his time.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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