Director facing lengthy prison sentence after defrauding millions from Netflix

WorldEntertainment
12 Dec 2025 • 4:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Hollywood director Carl Erik Rinsch was convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11m (£8.2m) intended for his science fiction series, White Horse, later renamed Conquest.
  • A federal jury in Manhattan found Rinsch guilty on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering, concluding he diverted the funds for personal luxury items and investments.
  • Rinsch used the money to purchase five Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, expensive watches, high-end mattresses and pay off credit card debt, rather than completing the show.
  • Netflix had invested a total of $55m (£41.06m) in the project, which they ultimately wrote off after Rinsch failed to deliver a single completed episode and exhibited erratic behaviour.
  • Prosecutors stated the charges carry maximum sentences totalling 90 years, with Rinsch scheduled for sentencing on 17 April 2026; his lawyer maintains the verdict is wrong.

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