Director convicted of scamming millions from Netflix for unfinished sci-fi show

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AdvertisementUnited StatesWorldUnited States & CanadaDirector convicted of scamming millions from Netflix for unfinished sci-fi show

Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for ‘47 Ronin’, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges

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Netflix studios in Los Angeles, California. Photo: AFP

Associated Press

A Hollywood director was convicted on Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of US$11 million for a show that never materialised, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about US$1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding.

Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing the film 47 Ronin, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, according to court records and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in New York.

In a statement, Rinsch’s lawyer Benjamin Zeman, said 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”.

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Prosecutors said Netflix had initially paid Rinsch about US$44 million for an unfinished sci-fi show called White Horse, and then sent over another US$11 million after he said he needed additional funding to wrap up the production.

Director Carl Rinsch in 2013. Photo: AP
Director Carl Rinsch in 2013. Photo: AP

But instead of putting the money towards the show, Rinsch steered the cash to a personal account where he made a series of failed investments, losing around half of the US$11 million in a couple months, according to prosecutors.

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