Overview
- A Manhattan federal jury convicted Carl Rinsch in December on charges including wire fraud and money laundering for diverting about $11 million that Netflix had provided to develop the sci‑fi series White Horse.
- Prosecutors presented trial evidence they say shows Rinsch used the funds for lavish personal purchases and risky investments, including numerous food deliveries, luxury bedding and cryptocurrency trades.
- Reeves submitted a character letter asking Judge Jed Rakoff to show “leniency and mercy,” and the defense has provided additional letters and filings that cite psychological instability and Rinsch’s ruined career to argue against a long prison term.
- Rinsch is due to be sentenced on June 29 and prosecutors are expected to file their sentencing recommendation by June 16, while the judge is likely to order about $11 million in restitution to Netflix.
- Netflix is also seeking roughly $4.4 million in attorneys’ fees from Rinsch for related civil and investigative costs and the defense contests that demand, a dispute that will affect how much he must repay beyond restitution and could shape oversight of big‑budget streaming productions.