Director and screenwriter Carl Erik Rinsch was arrested on Tuesday in California, accused of stealing more than 11 million dollars from Netflix for a science fiction series that never aired.

He allegedly embezzled the budget for 'White Horse', a program that would have featured actor Keanu Reeves and actress Bruna Marquezine.

The streaming giant had already paid 44 million dollars for the unfinished TV series, and the 11 million had been requested for the completion of the show, but the director and screenwriter gave the money other uses.

Rinsch is accused of wire fraud and money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

In addition, he is charged with five counts of involvement in monetary transactions involving assets derived from illegal activities, each carrying a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

The director reportedly asked Netflix for the budget  to finance a television program and "instead allegedly used the funds on personal expenses and investments, including highly speculative options and cryptocurrency trading," according to the international press.

The sum of their sentences could reach 90 years in prison.