Director convicted of scamming $11M from Netflix and going on lavish spending spree

A Hollywood director was convicted Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of $11 million for a show that never materialized, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about $1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding. Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing the film “47 Ronin," was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, according to court records and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in New York. In a statement, Rinsch's attorney, Benjamin Zeman, said he thought the verdict was wrong and "could set a dangerous precedent for artists who become embroiled in contractual and creative disputes with their benefactors, in this case one of the largest media companies in the world, finding themselves indicted by the federal government for fraud.”