Renowned Hollywood director Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for his 2013 film 47 Ronin, has been arrested and charged with federal fraud and money laundering after allegedly misusing millions of dollars in production funds from Netflix.
Rinsch, 47, was given $11 million by the streaming giant to produce the sci-fi series White Horse, but instead of completing the project, prosecutors say he diverted the funds for personal luxury spending.
The indictment, filed by the U.S. Justice Department, states that between 2018 and 2019, Netflix initially provided Rinsch with $44 million to produce White Horse, a series about artificial human clones. However, the director failed to deliver even a single episode.
By March 2020, Netflix granted him an additional $11 million after he claimed the original budget was insufficient. Instead of investing the money into production, court documents reveal that Rinsch transferred the funds into his personal accounts and embarked on a lavish spending spree.
According to prosecutors, Rinsch allegedly:
- Spent $1.8 million on credit card bills
- Used $3.7 million to buy furniture and antiques
- Purchased $933,000 worth of mattresses and luxury bedding
- Acquired a fleet of luxury cars, including Rolls-Royces and a Ferrari
- Invested heavily in cryptocurrency, losing large sums in risky financial ventures
Adding to the controversy, he also allegedly used $1 million to pay lawyers to sue Netflix for more money and finance his divorce proceedings.
Rinsch’s dispute with Netflix has been widely covered in U.S. media, with a 2023 New York Times report detailing his increasingly erratic behavior. Friends and colleagues claimed he believed he could predict lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions, and had knowledge of a “secret transmission mechanism” for COVID-19.
Appearing in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday, Rinsch declined to enter a plea. When asked if he had read the 12-page indictment, he reportedly responded, “Not cover to cover.”
He was released on a $100,000 bail and is set to face trial in New York at a later date. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Netflix has declined to comment on the case.
