Police report that the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn received a bomb threat call at nearly 10:30 a.m. today. It forced the evacuation of visitors and lawyers on Monday morning, a high-ranking police source said. But prisoners, including prisoner number 57-17705, AKA Keith Alan Raniere, remain behind bars.
It is not known if Raniere’s attorneys were at MDC conferring with Raniere who is due in court for a status conference on Wednesday when all visitors were told to evacuate the building.
The bomb threat came less than 24 hours after electricity and heat were restored to the facility – on Sunday at 6:30 pm – after a week of being out of service following a fire.
During the past week, prisoners were held in the cold and in the dark and not served hot food. Some complained they were unable to get enough blankets and warm clothes. The temperature according to Raniere’s attorney was 44 degrees inside the facility.
Public awareness of the cold, dark prison was enhanced following a filing by Keith Raniere’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, seeking his release on bail because of the unpleasant conditions at MDC.
About 200 protesters showed up at the facility over the past weekend to bring attention to the plight of prisoners.
The bomb threat came in around 10:30 a.m. — prompting authorities to search MDC. Police don’t believe the threat is credible, a high-ranking police source told the New York Post.
In addition to Raniere, more than 1,600 inmates are lodged at MDC, some of them awaiting trial and others awaiting sentencing in this high-security federal prison (There are also about 150 “Cadre” prisoners who are actually serving their sentences – or a portion of their sentences – at MDC)..
How these recent events at MDC will impact Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis’ decision whether to release Raniere on bail and home detention is not definitely known – but I would hazard a guess that it will not impact it even slightly. Were he to do so, the judge may be setting a precedent that every other prisoner at MDC would seek to exploit for their benefit.
While Agnifilo robustly complained on Friday about Raniere’s suffering in Brooklyn because he was without heat and electricity – by Sunday, heat and lights were restored, thus making the complaint moot even before the judge had a chance to review the filing. Happily, Agnifilo was able to bill several good hours in drafting the filing.
This brings the argument back to the original motion for bail – which is whether Raniere is a flight risk and a danger to the community. The judge previously ruled on two separate occasions that he is.
A week of cold and darkness – now corrected – is not likely to change the judge’s previous decision.
Rumors that Keith’s giant brain caused the electrical fire – and could set off a bomb – seem to have been largely discounted by prison authorities who claim there is no bomb, and the cause of the fire had nothing to do with Raniere, who is known by fellow prisoners as Crybaby Jane because of his penchant for sobbing openly when bullied by fellow prisoners – his expert judo skills notwithstanding.
Coincidentally or not, MDC, which has always been rather a chamber of horrors, is getting more than its fair share of attention since the Vanguard encamped here.
Today, a group of lawyers filed a lawsuit over the “humanitarian crisis” at MDC. The Federal Defenders of New York says inmates at MDC have been subjected to “inhumane” conditions in direct violation of their constitutional rights. The suit is filed against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Warden Herman Quay and accuses the feds of being “slow to acknowledge the problem”, not taking “sufficient steps to obtain temporary supplies of electricity or heat, or repair the damage” and issuing “misleading statements” to the public.
In addition to Raniere’s complaint, Matthew Madonna, the boss of the Lucchese crime family who is awaiting trial, also filed a complaint.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the DOJ to investigate, calling the frigid, dark conditions a “violation of human decency and dignity.”
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K.A.R. is pleading for mercy? Here’s an entirely ethical solution to keep warm: have one lash of the whip, administered to his bare back, which will put him in a warm hospital bed for a few weeks! Singapore law gifts Singaporean citizens whom had stepped on its wrong side, with such acts of empathy! I say it is a most welcome solution. It can also be repeated as many times as the criminal requests! Residents of the M.D.C. cannot possibly ask for more.
Offtopic, I wonder whether Raniere will be visited during his trial as well: https://twitter.com/realJeffreyP/status/1092565037993127942
Funny how both KAR and Matthew Madonna filed suits. Both of them were kingpin used to getting their way and obviously used to very comfy living conditions. Not saying it isn’t bad at MDC, but it must be extra awful when you’ve come from such a lavish lifestyle.
Never mind, KAR’s lawyer should just print him out these articles. I’m sure his seething, bubbling, impotent rage at being so openly mocked willl keep him warm at night. Ha!
Not exactly “midnight express”…
Power failure? No heat? Bomb threat? First thing I thought of was that they were busting El Chapo out.
In Ranieres case, that would be El Cheapo…
Frank is over dramatizing things about MDC again, as usual.
Frank and his female sidekick, Heidi, have been giving us links to several news stories claiming that MDC inmates were suffering a life threatening situation. Yet after ALL those supposedly ‘credible’ reports of freezing temperatures and inmates nearly freezing after SUPPOSEDLY being refused blankets, NOT A SINGLE inmate actually FROZE.
It’s fishy that everybody supposedly “almost froze” but nobody actually fucking froze.
Imagine the chances of that happening? Call a statistician and ask him if that’s very likely.
According to Frank, he actually believes that nearly everybody at MDC was on the verge of becoming frozen corpses, yet NOT A SINGLE case of frostbite or REAL hypothermia was reported for the ENTIRE MDC FACILITY.
Complaining about a scratchy throat doesn’t count for SHIT.
Not a single toe had to be snipped off for frostbite.
Hey Frank, how can you explain that?
I’ll explain it for you… …It’s because 44 degrees ain’t fucken cold enough to “freeze” an inmate or give him frostbite. Heck, I know people who wear shorts in 44 degree weather. It’s just a tad cold. It’s not life threatening.
If they were swimming in 44 degree water that would be life threatening, but they weren’t. There was also no wind chill inside. It just wasn’t cold enough to put anybody’s life in jeopardy.
Show me a REAL medical report from a life threatening situation this past week at MDC. I want names and details, not just anonymous BULLSHIT (oh, and old people having a heart attack don’t count). If not, then methinks you and your bleeding heart female sidekick are exaggerating your asses off.
FACT: Keith and his fellow inmates had so many extra blankets that they used the extra ones to stuff the vents of their cells.
FACT: Blankets at MDC were so plentiful that they were practically falling from the rafters. MDC was practically a blanket factory.
Fuck this story and the horse it rode in on. It’s a huge exaggeration.
Yes, it was cold at MDC. It was probably very unpleasant too. The cold food was probably not as tasty as hot food. Boo-hoo. But was it REALLY life threatening? Fuck no.
Nothing to see here. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for. Move along.
Not surprising
Even the Albany TU sounds a mite nervous about Keith’s keen use of these incidents as an excuse for release.
Sure to be another amended filing to include the bomb threat delay and “due process” rights interference, now. …Well, always better to cover your ass before it shows. Even if Luchesse’s consigliere already has it covered.
Another “case complication of the Govt.’s own making.” From the world’s greatest problem solver. …No trial this year. Sigh.
How’s that complaint over the dim lighting and bitter cold KAR made last SUMMER going?
https://www.timesunion.com/news/amp/Nxivm-leader-Raniere-argues-for-release-from-13585903.php
“Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the DOJ to investigate, calling the frigid, dark conditions a “violation of human decency and dignity.”
Gov. Cuomo should look at the case in the UK of Stephen Smith from Liverpool.
Heres a link.
www:dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6664193/Anger-benefits-bosses-denied-handouts-man-left-weighing-just-6st-health-problems.html
Welcome to government health care, too bad he didn’t take the pill Barry suggested
A BOMB is what Vanguard dropped in his pants when he went on lockdown with his fellow inmates.
No doubt they found creative ways to keep warm. A LOVE LOCKDOWN fo sho!
Wide angle HD cameras and immovable barriers abound at federal prisons since the 9/11 terroist attacks. Crybaby Jane is safe!
Same Cuomo who says killing babies while they are being born is okay?
Is he anyone to talk about decency?