Keanu Reeves is seeking leniency for Carl Rinsch, the director of “47 Ronin” who faces years in prison for swindling Netflix out of $11 million.
In a letter to Judge Jed Rakoff, Reeves called the director an “exceptional artist” and urged the judge to show “leniency and mercy” in sentencing him.
Rinsch was convicted in December on federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making illegal transactions. Prosecutors alleged that he used Netflix’s money — intended to fund the sci-fi series “White Horse” — to make lavish purchases, including luxury cars, high-end mattresses, and crypto investments.
Rinsch directed Reeves in “47 Ronin,” and the actor later served as a mentor and initial investor on “White Horse.” In the letter, Reeves acknowledged that he is not a psychologist or a therapist, but spoke to Rinsch’s motivations as an “artistic peer.”
“In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds,” Reeves wrote. “I do not intend to share this as a diminishment of what he has been found to have done, but offer this solely as perhaps an insight into why.”
Rinsch is due to be sentenced on June 29. Prosecutors are expected to make their sentencing recommendation by June 16.
According to the defense calculations, Rinsch would face 8-10 years in prison under federal guidelines. However, the defense argued that Rakoff should give him a sentence well below that, noting that Rinsch is a first-time offender and has already suffered “the likely end of his career.”
The judge is expected to order Rinsch to pay $11 million in restitution to Netflix. Netflix is also seeking an additional $4.4 million in attorneys’ fees, which it incurred while defending itself in an arbitration case brought by Rinsch, as well as while it was assisting federal prosecutors.
The defense argues that the attorneys’ fees demand is excessive. Rinsch has been deemed “indigent” under the law and was represented at trial by counsel appointed by the court.
The defense submitted letters on Rinsch’s behalf from Reeves and others, including his mother, brother, and several childhood friends.
