Keanu Reeves urges ‘mercy’ for director Carl Rinsch, convicted of swindling Netflix out of $11 million
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Carl Rinsch, a director convicted of scamming $11 million from Netflix, faces up to 10 years in prison for charges including money laundering, illegal transactions, and wire fraud.
- Prosecutors revealed that Rinsch used the funds, originally intended for the sci-fi series "White Horse," on luxury items such as Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, watches, clothing, and furniture, while the show was never completed.
- Keanu Reeves, who worked with Rinsch on the 2011 film "47 Ronin," wrote a letter to the judge urging leniency, describing Rinsch as a visionary artist and a warm, joyful person.
- Netflix is seeking $11 million in restitution plus $4.4 million in attorneys' fees, with Rinsch's sentencing scheduled for June 29.
- Reeves acknowledged Rinsch's wrongdoing but suggested his actions stemmed from self-sabotage rather than malicious intent, hoping for a balanced and healing judicial outcome.