A US court has sentenced 47 Ronin director Carl Rinsch to 30 months imprisonment for defrauding Netflix to the tune of $11m while shooting the series White Horse.
Keanu Reeves was one of several people who attested to the filmmaker’s mental health issues after he was found guilty by a jury last December for money laundering and wire fraud.
Reeves told Manhattan judge Jed Rakoff that medication “misuse” and other factors exacerbated issues in his work and life. When the sci-fi series encountered production issues in late 2019 Netflix subsequently sent Rinsch $11m to complete the show.
However the filmmaker, 48, used the funds on crypto and luxury purchases including a Rolls Royce. The series never wrapped and Netflix wrote off the amount.
Despite prosecutors arguing for a sentence of up to 11 years, Rakoff said he felt two-and-a-half years was sufficient. He also ordered Rinsch to pay around $11m in restitution even through it was unlikely the streamer will recover the full amount.
In addition Rinsch must attend an outpatient mental health programme, stay off intoxicants, and surrender into custody on September 1.
No comments yet