Hollywood director Carl Erik Rinsch has been found guilty of scamming Netflix out of 11 million dollars, according to a verdict delivered by a New York jury.
Rinsch, who directed the movie 47 Ronin, was convicted on multiple charges, including fraud and money laundering, after prosecutors proved he misused money meant to complete a television series for the streaming company.
The case centers on a science fiction series originally titled White Horse, later renamed Conquest. The show was supposed to follow a brilliant inventor who creates a humanlike species known as the Organic Intelligent, a creation that eventually leads to disastrous consequences. Netflix paid Rinsch 11 million dollars to finish the project, but the series was never completed or released.
Prosecutors told the court that instead of using the money for production, Rinsch moved the funds into risky investments. Within less than two months, he reportedly lost more than half of the money. After those losses, he allegedly spent the remaining funds on cryptocurrency trading and expensive personal items.
Court documents revealed that Rinsch spent at least 3.3 million dollars on furniture, antiques, and luxury mattresses. He also purchased a Swiss watch worth nearly 387,000 dollars and spent around 2.4 million dollars on luxury cars, including five Rolls Royces and a red Ferrari.
Rinsch was formally charged in March, following an investigation into how the Netflix funds were used. The case was first reported by Deadline and later detailed by other media outlets. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2026.
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