Keanu Reeves has written to a federal judge asking for leniency for Carl Rinsch, the director convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million, describing him as an “exceptional artist” while stopping well short of excusing what he did.
Rinsch, who directed Reeves in the 2013 film 47 Ronin, was convicted in December on federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making illegal transactions.
Prosecutors alleged he used Netflix money earmarked for his sci-fi series White Horse to fund a lifestyle of lavish purchases, including luxury cars, high-end mattresses and cryptocurrency investments.
He is due to be sentenced on 29 June by Judge Jed Rakoff, with prosecutors set to make their recommendation by 16 June.
Reeves, who later served as both a mentor and an early investor on White Horse, submitted a letter to the court on Rinsch’s behalf alongside letters from his mother, brother and childhood friends.
In it, the actor was careful to frame his support as insight rather than excuse.
“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,” he 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.”
Under federal guidelines, Rinsch could face between eight and ten years in prison, according to defence calculations.
His legal team is pushing for a substantially lower sentence, arguing that he is a first-time offender who has already effectively lost his career as a result of the conviction.
The judge is also expected to order Rinsch to pay $11 million in restitution to Netflix.
The streamer is additionally seeking $4.4 million in legal fees incurred during both an arbitration case Rinsch brought against Netflix and its cooperation with federal prosecutors, a demand the defence has described as excessive.
Rinsch has been deemed indigent under the law and was represented at trial by court-appointed counsel.
It is a remarkable turn for a director who was once considered a significant talent.
Reeves clearly still sees that potential, even if he was careful not to let his letter read as anything other than a plea for proportionate justice.
