NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood writer-director Carl Rinsch was sentenced Monday to 2 1/2 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million for a never-finished sci-fi series. Supporters including Keanu Reeves had asked the court to show him leniency.
Rinsch, best known for the 2013 samurai fantasy film “47 Ronin,” was convicted in December of federal wire fraud and other charges. According to prosecutors and trial testimony, he told Netflix he needed $11 million to finish a show called “White Horse” but diverted the money into a personal account and ultimately spent whopping sums on luxury cars, watches, clothes and household goods, including $638,000 on two mattresses.
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Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
FILE - Director Carl Rinsch poses for photographers during a news conference to promote his 3-D film "47 RONIN" in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
Carl Rinsch, center, leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Rinsch, 48, and his lawyers told the court Monday that his behavior was fueled by mental health struggles and medication problems, which they said he is now addressing with a new care provider.
“This process has forced me to confront things about my health, my judgment and my life,” Rinsch said. He apologized for his behavior, acknowledged that “real harm was caused,” and explained: “I failed to recognize the danger of the state I was in.”
His psychological troubles weren't described in court, and he and his lawyers declined to detail them afterward.
Prosecutors argued that Rinsch —- who also owes about $11 million in restitution — should serve five years in prison.
“Mr. Rinsch had every possible advantage,” including family money, an elite education, famous friends and a high-flying career, prosecutor David Markewitz told the court. Rinsch's motive, the prosecutor said, “was naked greed.”
Rinsch, who also has used the name Carl Erik Rinsch professionally, hails from the Los Angeles area and began making short films as a teenager. He later directed commercials, then got attention for “47 Ronin,” which stars Reeves. His character leads outcast samurai seeking to avenge their master's killing.
Rinsch “bring exceptional joy and warmth to the people around him” and “creative inspiration to others through his creativity and vision,” Reeves told the court in a letter ahead of Rinsch's sentencing.
The “Matrix” star said he didn't know the details of the case, but he acknowledged that Rinsch “can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated.” He said he hoped the director’s sentence “might be tempered with measures of leniency and mercy as well as justice.”
Prosecutors said Netflix initially paid Rinsch about $44 million for “White Horse” in 2018 and 2019, then provided another $11 million in 2020 after he said he needed more money to wrap up production.
But instead of putting that money toward the show, Rinsch steered the cash to a personal account and made a series of failed investments, losing around half the $11 million in a couple of months, according to prosecutors and witnesses' testimony.
They said he put the remaining funds into the cryptocurrency market, netting some profit, which Rinsch deposited into his own bank account.
Then came the lavish purchases, prosecutors said, with Rinsch buying five Rolls-Royces, a red Ferrari, $652,000 worth of watches and clothes, and the pricey mattresses, plus another $295,000 on luxury bedding and linens. In addition, he used some of the money to pay off about $1.8 million in credit card bills, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff said Rinsch's mental health difficulties “may explain some of the excesses” but don't “detract from the court's conclusion that he was determined to lie to get substantial monies from Netflix, lie to cover it up.”
As Rakoff announced the prison term, Rinsch wrote on a piece of paper on a table in front of him. One of his lawyers, Benjamin Zeman, patted the director's back.
After court, Rinsch — who's due to report to prison in September — hugged several people who had come to support him. He and his lawyers declined to comment as they left, except that attorney Daniel McGuinness said they looked forward to appealing the case.
Netflix declined to comment on his sentence.
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed.
Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
FILE - Director Carl Rinsch poses for photographers during a news conference to promote his 3-D film "47 RONIN" in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
Carl Rinsch, center, leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Carl Rinsch leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Formidable France is back on the field for the World Cup round of 32, welcoming its coach back to the sideline after a one-game absence. So is Norway, which rowed into North Texas for its first knockout match in 28 years.
Meanwhile, host Mexico hopes a raucous home crowd and playing at altitude can help it prevail in Mexico City.
Elimination games continue on Tuesday with three matchups: France-Sweden, Ivory Coast-Norway and Mexico-Ecuador.
Coach Didier Deschamps is back with France after traveling to Europe for his mother’s funeral. Assistant Guy Stéphan led Les Bleus to a 4-1 win over Norway in Deschamps’ absence.
Star striker Erling Haaland scored four goals in Norway's first two group-stage games before sitting out the loss to France. He will try to lead his country to a win over Ivory Coast.
Mexico will have the home crowd behind it at Estadio Azteca after winning all three of its games in Group A. Ecuador qualified for the knockout rounds in dramatic fashion, beating soccer heavyweight Germany 2-1 in its group finale.
— Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 1 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— France vs. Sweden, 5 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Mexico vs. Ecuador, 9 p.m. EDT in Mexico City (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
A rested Norway was greeted by about a dozen local law enforcement officials making a rowing motion on the tarmac when the team landed in Dallas ahead of its round of 32 game against Ivory Coast.
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said he was on the wrong side of the plane and didn’t see it, but called it a “surreal” moment for the squad.
Haaland was among 10 regulars not in Norway’s starting lineup for its group-stage finale. While some fans were disappointed, the loss to France was only four days after a 3-2 win over Senegal, and Norway had already secured a spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 1998.
“We have to do what’s best for the team. And the manager was clear and we agreed with him, that we had a really tough game before and we have a really hard game tomorrow, and we had the chance to rotate a little bit,” team captain Martin Odegaard said Monday before a training session. “We have to think about ourselves, how we can go as far as we can in this competition.”
“Some rest, I think that was the sensible thing to do. So I’m very, very happy we did that,” midfielder Sander Berge said.
Ivory Coast, in its fourth World Cup, will play its first knockout game. Les Éléphants finished second in their group, like Norway did.
Deschamps learned of his mother’s death the day after France’s win over Iraq on June 22, which clinched advancement from the group stage.
“I’m here. I’m good, and it’s good to be busy since Friday evening when I arrived back in the United States,” Deschamps said Monday through an interpreter.
France swept its group matches for the first time since 1998, joined by Argentina and Mexico as the only nations to win all three games. Seeking their third title after 1998 and 2018, Les Bleus would face Germany or Paraguay in the round of 16 if they get past the Swedes.
Deschamps coached France to the 2018 title and to the 2022 final, which Argentina won on penalty kicks.
Captain of France’s 1998 champions, Deschamps took over as coach in 2012 and said in January he would retire this summer. He is trying to become the second coach to win two World Cup titles after Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938.
France striker Marcus Thuram won’t be available against Sweden because of a calf injury and midfielder N’Golo Kanté is uncertain.
Sweden defender Isak Hien will miss the match with a hamstring injury that forced him from last Thursday’s game against Japan in the 37th minute.
Sweden's results were all over the place during group play and it finished third in Group F. Sweden beat Tunisia 5-1 in the opener before losing to the Netherlands 5-1 and then fighting to a 1-1 draw with Japan.
France is meeting Sweden at the World Cup for the first time.
Mexico’s best World Cup performances came when hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986, reaching the quarterfinals on both occasions.
The current squad — which opened the tournament with three consecutive wins for the first time in its history — will play Ecuador, aiming to win its first knockout-stage match since June 1986, when it defeated Bulgaria in the round of 16.
“I don’t know if we’re favorites but playing at home and with our fans behind us, we want to do things right,” left back Jesús Gallardo said before Monday’s training session.
In addition to the fans, the Mexicans benefit from the altitude — 7,350 feet (2,240 meters) above sea level — a factor that has helped the team lose only two matches in its history at Estadio Azteca.
“We have a 90-minute match ahead of us, plus extra time and possibly penalties, so we shouldn’t focus on the altitude but rather on playing football the way we have so far,” Gallardo added.
Ecuador reached this round by finishing third in Group E, behind Germany and Ivory Coast.
— South Korea coach quits after early World Cup exit prompts fierce criticism from president
— Inside the World Cup knockout stage bracket: Some teams have an easier path than others
— Czech Republic coach Koubek resigns after early World Cup exit
— Belgium center back Zeno Debast practices at World Cup for 1st time while recovering from leg injury
— World Cup in photos, Day 19
— Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time winner for Brazil against Japan on Monday in the 95th minute was the country's latest goal in normal time to win a World Cup game.
This story has been corrected. A previous version misattributed a quote from Norway's Sander Berge. The statement was attributed in error to his teammate, Patrick Berg.
AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum, Carlos Rodriguez and Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Ivory Coast players celebrate at the end of the World Cup Group E soccer match between Curacao and Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Japan's Junya Ito (14) and Sweden's Ken Sema (13) battle for the ball during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Japan and Sweden in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
Morocco fans gather ahead of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Netherlands at the Macroplaza square in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Norway fans, looking like Norway's star player Erling Haaland, pose after the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
France's Desire Doue (20) celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
