Director Carl Rinsch Pleads Not Guilty in Netflix Fraud Case

Rinsch is accused of misappropriating $11 million intended for the sci-fi series 'Conquest,' with a trial date set for September 8, 2025.

Carl Rinsch, charged with fraud and money laundering, entered a not guilty plea in a federal court in New York on April 3, 2025.
Prosecutors allege Rinsch diverted $11 million from Netflix for personal expenses, including luxury goods, cryptocurrency investments, and cars, instead of completing the sci-fi series 'Conquest.'
Netflix invested a total of $55 million in the project, but no episodes were ever completed or delivered, leading the company to write off the investment in 2020.
Rinsch, who remains free on $100,000 bail, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charges, with prosecutors still working to access encrypted evidence by May 2025.
In addition to the criminal case, Netflix is pursuing civil proceedings to recover funds, having secured an $11.8 million judgment in 2024 and seeking to locate assets for recovery.