Carl Rinsch, director of the 2013 feature 47 Ronin, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on Monday by Judge Jed Rakoff of the Southern District of New York. The term is half of the 60 months prosecutors sought and well below the 9-to-11-year range suggested by federal sentencing guidelines.
Rinsch was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering after prosecutors proved he diverted $11 million Netflix had advanced to produce a sci-fi series titled "White Horse," also known as "Conquest." The show was never completed. Rather than applying the funds to production, Rinsch moved the money into a personal account, spending it on cryptocurrency trades, luxury cars, and household goods. According to Variety, the purchases included five Rolls-Royces registered not in his name and two mattresses costing a combined $638,000.
Judge Rakoff described the pattern as evidence of "someone who has a manic state of mind beyond simple greed." The sentence includes $11 million in restitution to Netflix, mandatory outpatient mental health treatment, and an abstention from narcotics. Rinsch must surrender by September 1, 2026.
Keanu Reeves, who starred in 47 Ronin, submitted a letter to the court before sentencing. "I do not know the details of this case," Reeves wrote, requesting "leniency and mercy" and citing concerns about Rinsch's mental health and medication use. In court, Rinsch said: "I made a mistake. This process has forced me to confront things about myself."