Carl Rinsch Gets 2.5 Years for $11M Netflix Fraud

Carl Rinsch was sentenced Monday to two and a half years in prison for defrauding Netflix of $11 million.

A federal jury convicted the television and film director of wire fraud last year. Prosecutors said Rinsch took the money from Netflix for a science-fiction series called "Conquest" and never delivered a finished product. Instead, he spent the funds on personal luxuries – five Rolls-Royces and a Ferrari.

The $11 million advance came in 2018. Netflix later wrote it off as a loss after receiving only a few incomplete episodes.

U.S. District Judge [name] said at the sentencing that Rinsch may have been in a "manic state" when he bought the cars. The judge added that the director then spent years covering up the fraud, making leniency inappropriate. The cover-up was deliberate, the judge said.

Netflix has not commented on the sentencing. The streaming company spent more than $17 billion on content in 2023. It has said in the past that it reviews production partners more closely after fraud cases.

Rinsch must also repay the full $11 million, the judge ordered.