American director Carl Rinsch, known for the 2013 film 47 Ronin, was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for defrauding Netflix of millions of dollars, prosecutors in New York announced.
Rinsch was convicted last year of misspending US$11mil paid to him by the the streaming platform in 2020 to create a science fiction series called White Horse.
"Instead of using the money to make the show, Rinsch made risky bets on highly speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and spent millions of dollars on luxury goods for himself," US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement.
Among the purchases Rinsch allegedly made were luxury clothing and furniture, a red Ferrari and five Rolls-Royces.
In addition to the prison sentence, Rinsch, 48, was ordered to forfeit US$11mil.
His lawyers had pleaded for leniency from the judge overseeing the case, arguing that the misuse of funds happened "under the enormity of pressure" in his career and during an "incredibly contentious divorce."
Although Netflix was never named by prosectors, Rinsch was previously reported to be in a dispute with the company over a planned series initially titled White Horse and later renamed Conquest.
The show, according to court document, was meant to focus on a scientist who creates a group of powerful clones "banished to a walled area in a Brazilian city, where they began developing advanced technology and came into conflict with humans and each other."
Rinsch began his feature film directorial career with 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves.
Ahead of Rinsch's sentencing, Reeves wrote to the judge to ask for "leniency and mercy" for his former director, calling him an "exceptional artist" who was prone to "self-sabotage." - AFP
