Now that Keith Raniere has been sentenced to 120 years in federal prison, it is time to examine the record and what happened at sentencing.
Was the century-plus sentence appropriate for his crimes of conviction? Or was he sentenced excessively and for crimes he was not convicted of by a jury – but determined to have committed by the judge by a preponderance of the evidence?
Was he sentenced in part because he is an odious character? Someone who egregiously offends society’s shared moral values?
To judge this better, I am going to publish the victims’ statements presented at sentencing. It is important to keep in mind that the victims’ statements were not made under oath – and that Raniere had no chance to cross-examine any of them (Per the applicable federal rules, he was also not allowed to have anyone speak on his behalf st the sentencing hearing).
Watching them live, I felt that almost all of them had the sobering ring of truth.
Kristin Keeffe’s harrowing tale had everyone on the edge of their chairs – and I thought the judge would call another moment of silence when she finished, as he did at Clare Bronfman’s sentencing. He did not do that, however.
Those attending the sentencing live heard from I believe 15 victims in total. Camila was first – and made her first public statement about her involvement with Raniere.
All the victims got one last chance to see their tormenter, now a wholly defeated man. Probably all of them will never look again upon the face of their abuser, a man they once regarded as the best and most ethical man in the world, a man who held almost total sway over their lives at one time.
Raniere sat calmly before his victims – many of whom were his former lovers – within easy sight of them in his prison garb. He could hear every word and betrayed little or no emotion as they told of his appalling crimes of abuse.
In addition to publishing the statements of his victims, I plan to publish the comments of some of his supporters. They want to explore several due process issues that they expect to be raised on appeal. I think it’s important to hear them – and investigate their claims – before we close the book on Raniere.
It is also a fact that a group of DOS women has come out publicly to tell their stories about how they were not “victims” of DOS. They announced their campaign, called the DOSsier Project last week, after the sentencing.
Among the supporters I observed at the sentencing of Raniere and afterward outside the court were Marc Elliot, Justin Elliot, Suneel Chakravorty, Eduardo Asunsolo, James Del Negro, Nicki Clyne, Michele Hatchette, Linda Chung, and Danielle Roberts.
I have informed the supporters of Raniere that I am interested in any evidence they may have concerning due process violations in Raniere’s case.
This should be heard. It can hardly terrorize the victims since Raniere is secure in a federal prison – and not likely to emerge from that fate until his life comes to a close.
The supporters’ efforts might lead to a retrial, an extremely difficult task to accomplish. But should it happen, Raniere will not be freed. He will simply be re-tried. Also still lingering are the child porn and sexual exploitation charges that were referred to the Northern District of New York – and with Camila, the victim, now apparently willing to testify, the road to Raniere’s eventual freedom is riddled with obstacles that are likely to be insurmountable.
If there truly was prosecutorial misconduct that rises to the level where there is doubt about the fairness of the trial, Raniere may be entitled to a new trial, at which, I believe, he will again be found guilty.
Before we close the book on Raniere, I want to examine evidence of possible crimes that were not charged. Of particular interest is what happened to Gina Hutchinson, Kristin Snyder, Barbara Jeske, Dorcas Suzanne Kemp, and Pamela Cafrtiz?
My film on Investigation Discovery, The Lost Women of Nxivm, covers the initial investigation. More evidence has been uncovered since then.
Frank Report will also seek to learn to what prison Raniere is assigned. As bad as he may be, there is no human that belongs in the shockingly cruel and inhuman Supermax prison in Florence, CO where one is placed in solitary confinement – in a tiny 7 x 12 cell – without human contact or external stimulus for a minimum of three years. One lawyer familiar with the case rates the probability of Raniere’s being assigned there at 75 percent.
The Sentencing of the Others
Ahead of us also are Allison Mack, Nancy and Lauren Salzman, and Kathy Russell, who have yet to be sentenced. Raniere, when he spoke, asked the judge to show mercy on them and put the blame entirely on him. Some might see this as a magnanimous gesture, but, on the other hand, what did he have to lose by making the statement?
The other defendants are expected to be sentenced by the end of the year, based on an instruction the judge gave prosecutors a few weeks ago to arrange dates with defense attorneys for sentencing. Now that Raniere has been sentenced, I expect things will move along expeditiously.
Based on the severity of the sentences imposed on Bronfman and Raniere, the four remaining defendants have ample reason to be concerned.
On the other hand, Lauren Salzman and Allison Mack have cooperated with the prosecution and the government’s sentencing memorandums and the Probation Department’s pre-sentencing reports should reflect that.
Nancy Salzman might have something to worry about. Listening to the victim’s statements, her name came up frequently and the judge, who seems to have an unerring sense of understanding the big picture and quite a few little pictures of this case under his purview, might very well have discerned that Nancy had a far larger role in the Nxivm racketeering enterprise than what was portrayed at trial and as reflected by her plea to only one racketeering conspiracy charge.
She faces a maximum of 20 years.
Allison also was mentioned frequently in the victim statements by two of her former slaves – Nicole and India Oxenberg. I am naming India by first and last name because she has chosen to be a public victim – as evidenced by “Seduced”, her four-episode scripted reality show on the STARZ TV network.
That does not bode well for Allison.
Raniere and I
Though Raniere tried his best to put me where he is, in federal prison, I harbor no ill will towards him. I spoke to him on the Friday before his sentencing. He granted to me the first prison interview since his incarceration.
The record is fairly clear that I had a role in his arrest and conviction.
In another ironic twist of fate, I was the fortunate person who announced the news of his 120-year sentence to the assembled media waiting outside the courthouse.
These little flourishes of poetic justice suggest a greater form of justice than what humans can deliver.
After the sentencing, Acting US Attorney Seth DuCharme delivered his official statement to the media.
“The 120-year sentence imposed on Keith Raniere today is a measure of his appalling crimes committed over a decade,” stated DuCharme. “Raniere exploited and abused his victims emotionally, physically and sexually for his personal gratification. It is my hope that today’s sentence brings closure to the victims and their families.”
DuCharme also commended the “brave” victims who spoke at sentencing.
Watch the video of DuCharme announcing the sentencing of Raniere below.
Life Sentence?
It is interesting that Judge Garaufis chose to sentence Raniere to a specific prison term – 120 years – as opposed to life. With time off for good behavior and time served, Raniere could be out in the year 2121, at the age of 161.
According to a study by the US Sentencing Commission, life sentences – and their corollary, a sentence of a specific term of years that is so long that it has the practical effect of being a life sentence – are fairly rare in federal cases. In fiscal year 2013, federal judges imposed a sentence of life imprisonment on 153 offenders. Another 168 offenders received far lengthier sentences than they could ever be expected to live beyond.
About 0.4 percent of all offenders sentenced in 2013 got life or de facto life sentences. As of January 2015, there were 4,436 prisoners incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons serving a life imprisonment sentence out of a total of 211,000 prisoners.
The most common offense type for which a life imprisonment sentence was imposed in fiscal year 2013 was drug trafficking (64 cases). The next most common were firearms offenses (27 cases), murder (19 cases), and extortion and racketeering offenses (16 cases).
Raniere qualified for the last offense. He was convicted of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy with a raft of underlying, overt acts.
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Its time for you to use your talents, Frank, to investigate and figure out what happened to Kristin Snyder.. Go to Alaska.
I am not done with the Snyder investigation.
I don’t think they hold V-Week at the Supermax. Oh well, KR, you only have to wait 101 years. I guess they could call it V-week and walkers.
Congratulations, Frank. I’ve been reading your blog well before anyone was arrested, and I’m so pleased, after all the work you’ve done, that your efforts are being widely recognized. You never backed down, you always held firm, and you helped so many victims. Thank you.
A 7 x 10 cell, eh? Too big for this cretin.
It will get more crowded when Bubba and Akim come a callin’.
They will brand him with man-love logos and treat him to sausage stuffing and a milky substance.
Then he must stay under 100 lbs. No pizza with hot sauce. But he will get many a hot sauce enema and learn oral obedience through lip-lock.
Hot sweaty sensual sessions await him. And in the rare chance he gets to shower he will get a nice porcelain prick-involved pumping and pounding.
He will finally find true love there.
Didn’t the Judge order Raniere to be required to cut off all communication from all members of NXIVM just as he did Clare Bronfman?
I’m pretty sure I heard that as well as others did towards the end of his sentencing.
Have you talked with his followers on how they are feeling about being shunned by the Judge’s order Frank?
I believe he only required this when Raniere goes on probation in 101 years. The followers are working hard on the appeal and getting their message out.
Wonder how much contact/influence he has with them right now.
Where do we go from here with Raniere? LOL
Nowhere, he’s going to prison by himself for the rest of his life. LOL
Maybe it’s too soon for gallows humor, but I am actually serious as well; what about ‘not-vanguard’ satirical gatherings to celebrate his conviction, or sentencing, date(s) as well as fund-raising for local community sexual assault response organizations supporting those of us living with post traumatic stress injuries.
This new animation may be helpful for others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIcLX7bDI8M&feature=youtu.be
Frank,
First-class analysis and synopsis. I look forward to the follow up articles.
Thank you!
Above all, while this is great news and a huge sigh of relief that Keith will spend the rest of his life in prison, there are still others [as Frank mentioned]; families, friends who still do not have a sense of closure because they unexpectedly lost their loved ones due to crossing paths with Keith Raniere and NXIVM.
Right, there is still a lot of damage.
At the risk of sounding sarcastic, I seriously think that Frank Parlato should get a Pulitzer for the heartache, damage and ruined lives that his efforts prevented. Vantard will never again harm another woman due primarily to Parlato’s efforts. That is huge. Who’s with me? How do we get this going?
I actually agree with you. How do we nominate him?
Medal of Freedom is more like it.
When is the last time a private citizen took down a cult?
How about never.
Was also thinking along these lines
https://entrysite.pulitzer.org
Need to move quite quickly, the entry deadline is late Jan.
Happy to pay/contribute to the entry fee.
Questions: Contact the Pulitzer Prize office at 212-854-3841 or pulitzer@pulitzer.org
Perhaps Snorlax FMN, NG, NJ, as your stateside, you could call the number and ask all the pertinent questions. Totally up for this, Frank stands a good chance, Great Idea.
The Pulitzer is given to the Lamestream media when the fake Russian hoax story is plopped on their laps and they are credited for outstanding investigation and reporting, I doubt Frank would be interested in being associated with that. LOL
OK, well if you know Frank wouldn’t be interested, rather, disgusted, to be entered for a Pulitzer, then we’ll just leave it.
Sorry for the unintended insult, Frank.
I was not insulted, I was complimented.
“In another ironic twist of fate, I was the fortunate person who announced the news of his 120-year sentence to the assembled media waiting outside the courthouse.”
Congratulations on this honor, Frank. Obviously, the DOJ and others felt it fittingly that it be you to make the announcement to your peers.
Well done!
Hear, hear to that!!
One more tidbit: I noticed that Marc Agnifilo said he would be handling the appeal(s). My takeaway from that is Raniere will not be arguing ineffective assistance of counsel, because in that case I believe Marc would have to recuse himself.
KRC?
The first round of appeals will focus on what the defense will contend are errors that Judge Garaufis made before, during and/or after the trial. Once those have been exhausted, Raniere will make a final appeal that will be based on “ineffective counsel”. That’s the normal sequence of events for appeals.
Klaviger-
Do you have any opinion as to why Marc Agnifilo did not put up a full defense?
Do you think Raniere in his infinite wisdom [as lay-person sarcasm] believes he will be able to appeal his case because he did not have adequate representation?
Experts were hired.
It was obvious NiceGuy 666 – any attempt of putting on a defense would have dug Raniere’s hole deeper with the cross examination. LOL
Raniere didn’t have to testify, just the experts would have to testify.
Like with the OJ case, you hire a bunch of experts to throw shit on the wall and hope something sticks in one juror’s mind.
Raniere had the resources(money) originally to mount a considerable defense,
Scott, why do you think rich people get slaps on the wrist, pay small fines, and walk free?
I didn’t say Raniere would have to testify, the “experts” would have looked like fools during cross examination as well. LOL
You should ask your question to Clare Bare. LOL
Weren’t there special hearings where each defendant was represented by a court-appointed attorney to make sure each defendant was committed and comfortable with their legal representation?
If this took place how can an appeal go anywhere on ineffective counsel?
I think the Nxivm 5 have damned him more than helped. Since it shows he has outside supporters that may help him escape.
If he does get placed in Supermax, part of it might be for that very reason and to prevent him from coordinating possible attacks, etc. like El Chapo.
Where we go from here?
First and foremost, I would like to see the uncharged crimes, possible murders and poisonings closely investigated. The families deserve that. IMO, NO one should skate on such crimes, locked up or not. If he can’t be charged, we might at least learn more about what really happened. With KAR securely locked away, more people should be willing to speak now.
Along those lines, perhaps we could now find out more about KAR’s childhood and more distant past, to see if there were any signs that he would grow into a warped madman who took pleasure in stroking the burn scars he caused to be inflicted on young women..
Of course, there will be the long, boring appeals process. My concern there is for the victims who will have to relive these horrors through the appeals process and possibly a new trial. However, I think the Judge carefully structured the sentence so that each crime is assigned a certain number of years. This way, even if one or two get dismissed at a new trial, he will still be locked up substantially for life. In my opinion this is appropriate given his unrepentant attitude and the undisputed FACT that given the opportunity, he will continue to harass, deceive, intimidate, manipulate and machinate from prison.
I also would like to know what happened to Pam’s $8M and whether the IRS placed a lien on it for back income taxes.
I am of course curious about the fates of the other Defendants, as well as any restitution ordered.
Then, of course, it will be fun to follow the civil trial.
My hope for Raniere is that he is sent someplace like Marion where his communications can be tightly controlled. The best thing after that, for me, would be for him to be largely forgotten. He never spouted one good or original idea (well, that babies can be “rapeable” might be original), and helped no one.
ND, you were from my heart. That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Now more than ever it is clear that Nicki Clyne is the leader of NXIVM.
https://castbox.fm/x/id65
Roberta Glass was at the sentencing. She stated in her podcast Reniere is allowed No contact, phone, email, letters, visits etc from anyone affiliated with Nxivm!
So much for his podcast. 😝
And then how did the audio recording come out? Of course, he wouldn’t let me, but he kept in touch on the phone with the people who mattered to him.
I heard the same thing
“He granted to me the first prison interview since his incarceration.”
Why are you lying? Raniere spoke with The Vow filmmakers back in September as shown in the episode that aired on October 18
Why assume I am lying? I do not believe he spoke with The Vow directly prior to my interview. I believe the snippet of Raniere talking was from a recording made from a prison phone to one of his followers. However, since my interview with him, I understand Raniere has given at least one more prison interview.
Still don’t want to admit you are lying?
Oct 20, 2020 Bustle interview with The Vow
The Season 1 finale ends with a call from Keith. How did you get in contact with him and what was that conversation like?
Amer: When you go through these kinds of stories, you have to try and leave no stone unturned. During the trial we began filming from the perspective of Keith’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo and his team, and through that process there was a conversation that was facilitated to Keith.
I did not read the Bustle interview. Maybe you are right about the prison interview. When I get time, I will check it out.
What I would urge you to do is to consider your own lack of manners and logical thinking. The fact that someone might be mistaken about something does not mean they are necessarily lying. A well-mannered person would have stated it differently than you did. Instead of accusing someone of lying, they would have asked if they had seen the Bustle interview that seems to contradict the previous statement.
So simple to behave with class – and you actually accomplish more that way. It opens the door to finding the truth.
I completely agree with the need for politeness, a social skill that is sadly lacking nowadays, particularly on the internet. Having said that, when I saw the end of “The Vow,” with the teaser conversation ‘promised’ for season two, the impression was not that Raniere was ‘in prison,’ meaning locked up for good. He was in that indeterminate state where he still had certain rights to speak to almost anyone he chose to. As for which prison they finally stick him in — every word he speaks, his careful modulations as he speaks, his eye movements, and his language choices — every utterance is crafted to persuade. He must not be allowed to speak to *anyone*. Putting him away in a maximum-security prison is all we have to protect everyone against his seductive poison. Unless we want a new cult springing up in prison, or his ‘old’ cult supported from prison, he must be prevented from speaking and, therefore recruiting.
It can be the usual day, when somebody with a dearth of firsthand information tries to mess with the facts, eh?
Frank is no frigging liar. And perfection is subjective illusion.
It just so happens that Frank Parlato was born with a lot of skills. Most of his skills he has been using with trememdous determination, like a real man or a real woman does. Get real. I love Frank for exactly who he is, heroic. So there.
Seems a bit aggressive on his part, Frank. I don’t think you’d lie.
Is it possible to have access to Raniere’s speech, the one he stated before the sentence?
We’re working to get a transcript of the entire sentencing proceeding.
Thank you
I’ve been trying to catch Frank and the Frank Report in a lie for two years…..
So far no luck. Good luck to you.
😉
Remember when he typed, “I like Flowers.” He keeps saying the same about Scott…
If he ever types, “I like Jimmer Del Negro”, I’ll know I’m onto something.
😉
Will Nicki Clyne be to her Vanguard what Squeaky Frome was to Charles Manson – loyal to the end?
Yes, but it’s really more like loyal after the end. I honestly don’t think she’ll ever change now.
The bomb has exploded in Mexico
https://www.facebook.com/NoticierosTelevisacom/videos/450648785916577/
Wow. Was that actual footage that f the branding taking place?
A real conversation KR talking about DOS?
This is huge. No American news outlet has gone this in-depth before.
Sure looks authentic. Sounds like Sarah Edmonson asking to be branded. Great find.
Frank, care to weigh in? Have you seen this?
Scenes that look like branding footage at 2:10 and 8:40
Damn me goofing off in Spanish class. Frank must be proud of the video they picked to show of disheveled Keith.
I like what Lt. Joe Kenda says about the criminals he’s helped to take down, “You need to be put in a cage.”
KR has been convicted of heinous crimes, but another big reason I think he needs to be kept away from regular society is because he’s capable of having a devastating influence on too many people’s lives. He is a pleasure-seeking sociopath with a gift for mind control and if left unchecked, he will decimate person after person, whether physically, psychologically, or both. The judge likely knows this, and is doing what’s in his power to protect society at large.
My friend used to say, “It’s not right for Charles Manson to be in jail. He didn’t DO anything.” But just being him, the magnetic master manipulator that he was, was his crime. A person like that is too dangerous. Raniere was and is a dangerous person, and I believe he was going to do much, much worse things in the years ahead if he wasn’t stopped when he was. As the experts on the recent documentaries have pointed out, the severity and militancy of NXIVM kept escalating.
Conspiracy is doing something. LOL
–He is a pleasure-seeking sociopath with a gift for mind control and if left unchecked
This may be true, but I think people’s real character is exposed in these type of situations. So, the ones who never fell for it or left earlier weren’t [as] susceptible to Raniere’s machinations, whereas the ones who remained on for longer have to ask themselves the question of why they did, because while there is partial victim-hood, there is also partial perpetration on their end. Despite this mythical idea that “opposites attract” like opposite charges, what’s more true in the human condition is that like attracts like.
He stated publicly that he had people killed. That makes him the highest possible risk to the public; not to mention his propensity for rape and child abuse. The only difference between Raniere and Manson is that Manson was more fully exposed.
You are taking that quote out of context. LOL
You ALWAYS say this, Scott, like you are in possession of the authentic context which is..? Four years of reading here and you have never explained the basis of your singular conviction.
Personally, if I feel some sort of hard and fast conviction take over the balance of my mind, I swiftly apply rigorous falsification. He did state publicly that people died for his beliefs and that is pertinent.
As to what he meant – chances are, it probably wouldn’t be anything harmless, given the context that brings us all together, here on the FR.
Sure as shit Raniere was not joking around.
It was true or a veiled threat. It definitely was not benign.
If you listened to the video on YouTube you would know what I mean, be sure to listen to the words before and after the “I’ve had people killed” part. LOL
I never said Raniere was joking around, NiceGuy 666. LOL
No, he’s not.
Yes, he is. LOL
Listen to the words before and after the “I’ve had people killed” quote on YouTube yourself. LOL
I have. Multiple times. I’ve also had him say the same thing to me and others. Twice.
I am not self proclaiming myself to be an expert. I’m simply sharing info.
And I’m saying that you have a very narrow, uninformed, one-track opinion on the topic. By presenting yourself as an expert with “The answer”, you’ve boxed yourself into a position where you cover your ears and scream LA LA LA LA LA LA, every time information comes out that doesn’t fit your simplistic narrative.
I admit, when I read the 120-year sentence, I was shocked. Not because he didn’t deserve it, but because we give him a maximum of 30 years (life imprisonment). I may be offending someone, but when I heard 120 years as a number, I could barely stop laughing. I was just glad how much justice struck this poking criminal figure. Judge Garaufis is an angel. ❤️
Assuming the judge sentenced Raniere a certain number of years for each crime, even if a couple of them are overturned, he will probably still spend the rest of his life in prison. LOL
I’ll take that time to read something else. There are many justice organizations that seek justice for falsely incarcerated prisoners. It’s the working poor that suffer the most, not lifetime grifters that bribed their way out of consequences their whole lives. This oppressed millionaire will garner clicks and that’s what FR is milking.
Do The Unabomber Manifesto: Industrial Society and Its Future – Book by Ted Kaczynski, next!
Seems to me, given all the damage that Raniere has caused and can continue to cause to “followers” he is still parasitically attached to, 3 years in a Supermax would be a good idea to limit their exposure to the toxin and give them at least a fighting chance to detox from his evil. Wonder when that will come out and will there be a new mug shot now that he’s been sentenced?
The Bureau of Prisons’ Designation and Sentence Computation Center, which is located at the Grand Prairie Office Complex in Texas, will decide where Raniere will be assigned. That process normally takes a few weeks – but taking into account the impact of COVID on government operations, the time of year, and the extreme length of his sentence, he might not get his assignment until sometime in December. It took the BOP several months before it assigned Bernie Madoff – who was sentenced to 150 years – to his prison in North Carolina.
MCC or MDC seems like a worse punishment than a standard minimum or medium security prison.
Any federal prison can severely limit Raniere’s communications with society. LOL
Good idea. He has cult followers who need space to deprogram and they may try to aid him illegally and end up committing crimes.
Will Nancy and the other defendants also have victim impact statements read at their sentencing hearing?
It may not bode well for Nancy in particular, nor for Alison or Lauren. Nancy Salzman, enabler of Raniere for almost 20 years, while hiding a $500K stash under the floorboards!. And, Keeffe says there’s millions more! I’d be nervous if I were her.
Frank’s bookkeeper girlfriend, Kathy Russell, should come through okay.
Victim impact statements will be allowed at each sentencing. Defendants, however, are not allowed to have anyone speak on their behalf.
Based on the STARZ documentary, it will not bode well for Nancy or Allison if India speaks at their sentencing. She blames Nancy for sucking her in to the cult and alienating her from her mother and blames Allison for forcing her to have sex with KR. India also places a lot of blame on Mark Vicente who comes out looking awful in this series.
I think we should keep in mind that but for Mark Vicente and his wife Bonnie, India might still be in the cult and it may never have been prosecuted.
It was Bonnie that told Catherine Oxenberg that India was branded.
You’re conflating Bonnie’s actions with Mark’s actions, and they are not one and the same. You’re not talking to cowed cult members that accept whatever they’re told in vague terms.
Mark watched as a videographer, bestie, board member, and owner of two centers. He tampered with evidence and wrote false statements in vexatious lawsuits. He was part of a militant MRA org within an already incredibly misogynistic cult. He’s complicit as fuck. If his wife did not have the patience and determination to convince him that abuse is wrong and often illegal, it would be she testifying against him. It was the branding, NOT ALL THE OTHER HEINOUS SHIT.
The media-savvy entertainment contingent strategized to cover their asses, and rushed their narrative to produce 9 hours of lack of accountability. Making a deal with the feds to cooperate so your tax evasion and money laundering doesn’t land you in a dank hole, isn’t a “hero”. He feared what might happen to him, what he had done to others, or looked the other way.
Portraying yourself as a hapless dupe x 2 while leaving out your decade of perpetrating on behalf of a remorseless psychopath warrant truth in the public trial he chose for all of them.
I think you understand the meaning of “Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how you clean up those mistakes that show your remorse and character”.
It would have come out, if not Bonnie, others. His behavior was accelerating, sloppy. Catherine Oxenberg would have found out eventually and she would have used all the same resources to illuminate the issue.
The Vow was his opportunity to show us remorse and tell us what it was for. It was a look at how much fun being at the top of the pyramid was and what a bummer it is now. Paltry, cowardly, insufficient. No value at all in helping themselves or others.
I think you have bad data, Frank.
I think this story warrants its own separate post. There is one view of Mark in The Vow and another view of him in India’s story. I think it is time to set the record straight.
That said, I do not know the answers yet, I think a fair and balanced story on this is important.
To Anonymous October 29, 2020 at 5:57,
I enjoyed reading your perspective.
Do you have any more to offer?
I do. LOL
I agree with both Frank here and Anonymous… Mark was both a “good” and “bad” guy. But in my opinion, all of the people in this story (and people in general) are on a spectrum between “good and bad.” Does Mark lean more to the good or bad- only God can really judge. In the end of this saga though, he did the right thing.
NLP was used to slowly boil the NXIVM frogs in a pot, all of them are victims to some extent. So I will not “victim blame” any of them. In India’s telling, Mark is being seen by people as “evil” for following the dictates of KR and his org. But from the other perspective, it struck me as sickening how long India stayed loyal even after Keith was arrested. If the prospect of being criminally charged was not on the table, I wonder if she would’ve ever left, because Catherine had already given her info about the crimes and she didn’t seem to care.
Hearing India’s story now though, I understand and empathize more than I did. Ultimately, I do not judge any of them- because I do not know what it is like to be in their shoes – I’ve never had someone use NLP to manipulate my mind over a period of many years. The Internet ragers spewing hate on social media or online at anyone who has had their mind messed with are blindly self-righteous and judgmental in a way that reveals they are devoid of human empathy.
An intriguing perspective.
I agree. That is why India and Mark should offer mitigation for Lauren and Alison. They were just further down the trail. I think Judge Garaufis may see it this way. So many of the exNxians are driven by blind hate and and scrambling to put distance between them and any wrong doing on their own part.
I agree with Maryb
India is a victim. People new to following the story should be cognitive of the fact
India had slaves of her own.
Hey, Frank, I understand and respect your regard for any matters relating to due process…etc. However, I must say that, personally, my primary interest is in regard to the adjudication of sentences for those remaining individuals convicted in the Raniere-associated cases. It must be deeply troubling for 65-year-old Nancy Salzman to be awaiting her fate in the wake of Raniere’s sentencing. After all, she was the co-leader and co-creator of NXIVM and pleaded guilty to Racketeering. Ms. Salzman was the “motor” for NXIVM and her training programs and psychological techniques ensnared numerous clients/victims for Raniere to exploit. Then, of course, there’s Nancy’s daughter, Lauren, and actress Allison Mack, both of whom pleaded guilty to Racketeering and Racketeering Conspiracy. I can’t say that I’m overly concerned about the leftover group of “dancers” and Raniere loyalists until the judge completes sentencing on these other important cases. Except, I do wonder what will happen (if anything) to Nicki Clyne and the missing/lawyer-protected collateral.
Frank, if possible, would you print a transcript of KR’s statement to the court at sentencing ? Thanks
We are awaiting receipt of a transcript of the entire sentencing hearing.
Yes! I thought he prepared a written statement that would evoke the greatness of ML King or Gandhi, not a lame off-the-cuff statement.
An appropriate sentence considering the deaths and disappearances of some associated with the group that he was the leader of.
Remember this: Raniere will commit suicide.
I wish him a lot of things (bending over for soap, etc.), but not suicide. On the one hand, because it would be the weakness of a desperate man and not a thing of the Creator. Suffer your 102 years of good behavior. Now he’s learning what responsibility means. For others. For the souls of other people. The body heals, but the soul is harder. He’s a real soul killer. Judge Garaufis recognized that. In addition to the crimes committed, of course.
He knows the Clintons?
He said Raniere would commit suicide, not that he would be suicided.
He’s far too much of a coward for that, but I’m hoping he will suffer accidents. Many of them.
Keith Raniere Volleyball Mentor. 😁
https://twitter.com/i/status/1321860810675691523
I would like to suggest that it doesn’t matter whether the sentence handed out to Raniere for these crimes is fair or not. The government was always committed to putting him in jail for life, and they gave themselves a flexible strategy to achieve this.
Note that in the DOJ’s press release announcing Raniere’s sentencing, they thank the IRS-CI team that investigated the crime. Yet Keith was not charged with any tax crimes. I strongly suspect that this is a hint to the defense team that if their appeal succeeds, there’s a whole ‘nother round of serious charges that he will get hit with in the event his conviction on the current set of charges is overturned — taxes and money laundering. While the odds for conviction on financial crimes are extremely high, there’s a lot of work in trial prep and there’s always a chance that a bored jury won’t understand the issues and will acquit. And the punishment for financial crimes is usually much less than for crimes of violence, so conviction on tax charges would not necessarily have put Raniere away for life. Thus, they brought the sex crimes case first.
My suspicion is that the government didn’t pursue him on the tax charges in the most recent trial because adding tax charges to sex crimes could have made the trial far more complex and could have confused or antagonized a jury. Prosecutors want winnable cases; they don’t always want to charge every single bad act that they know about if it risks the conviction. I was interviewed as a witness in a white-collar insider trading case some years ago. They brought only a handful of charges despite having evidence of hundreds of illegal trades because they wanted to ensure that he would get convicted. Charging hundreds of counts would have put him in jail for longer but might have confused the jury. They also investigated him for some serious crimes that had nothing to do with insider trading and would have charged him with that had he been acquitted on the insider trading charges. So like Raniere, the government had multiple layers to reach their goal of putting that hedge fund manager away for life.
If Raniere knows that another trial on tax charges will inevitably come, then it increases the pressure to cop a plea or to drop an appeal, though all the regular readers of this blog could have predicted that Keith wouldn’t fold and will throw the money into an appeal unlikely to be granted, instead of taking the hint that he’s done.
There are other potentially chargeable crimes too, for all of the other four guilty-pleading defendants who are awaiting their sentences in this Nxivm circus of malintent, disguised as new age prestidigitations.
In my observation, despite Allison Mack’s character being very much “revealed,” via testimony during Raniere’s trial, Nancy Salzman is the one who would be the most chargeable, of the remainder.
Personally, I think that she is the most dangerous individual who was charged, aside from Raniere. Yet she is very likely to skate away with a widdle slap upon her wrist, still absolutely convinced that she is fabulous.
Nancy Salzman continued to advertise herself as a quasi-therapist, even after her arrest. She dispensed pharmaceutical medicine as an unqualified group leader. She is said to have commandeered the disappearance of Kristin Snyder, who disrupted a “Nxivm” group and then disappeared off the map permanently. Then there’s a little matter of all the ill-gained $$$ that she has spent, siphoned or concealed.
It would be fine to see Nancy Salzman stopped in her tracks, too. I will be quite surprised if that happens, though.
Don’t be so surprised.
This judge is tough as Fuck. He’s the last guy on earth I’d rather meet in a courtroom. He’s so self righteous he’d put his own mother in jail x 10
I’m sorry, but can you please explain that more specifically?
You make a lot of sense as ever, John P.
The IRS only gets to look back 6 years.
Old courtroom joke :-
Prisoner after Judge sentences him to 80 years in prison exclaims “But I can’t do all that!! The Judge replies “Well, just do as much as you can…”
What is your estimate of Allison’s sentence?
Just an observer here but I would bet between 5 and 6 years.
This hinges upon her level of cooperation with the prosecutors and the D.A. That is info that is rather unavailable, for now. Unless something changes, we won’t know about Mack’s sincere level of cooperativeness, until the moment when Allison appears for her sentencing.
Already, Mack has evinced more remorse and awareness of wrongdoings than Clare Bronfman or Raniere were realistic enough to cough up, to try mitigating their circumstances. During Allison’s guilty plea, she addressed the court apologetically, said she had been wrong to trust Raniere, and she expressed regret, sorrow, shame and remorse.
Now, maybe only Allison Mack would know whether or not her admissions were truthful or if she was putting on an act to save her ass. Either way, that was an intelligent move, to acknowledge her mistakes and to demonstrate remorsefulness. Mack is probably more of a danger to herself than she could be to anybody else.
The awaited sentencings are already very interesting, and each in their unique ways. So much has not and possibly never will be revealed about this long, long trip of combined group insanities.
While I hope that Allison Mack is better off and is more aware, now that so much truth has come to the surface about her so-called spiritual path, who really knows?
The better and the more proficient that one is at acting theatrically, the more challenging it can be to determine what is true and what is not, from within the act itself.
Having spent many years learning and acting on stage while growing up, I understand the hypnotics of theater pretty thoroughly. It was almost my first love, learning those ropes, and it has been a fantastic education.
Allison is the girl next door, but to me, she could now only be cast by the late Alfred Hitchcock. So there is a loaded pause, for me a rather delicious café latté giggle. No, the set decorations on the stage contain no more va-va-vooms for Allison unless she has really gotten out of her own way.
Good! you almost got me worried with 2 days without a new post 😉
Thank God, a post. I was planning on getting a life for a while there! This has come at a good time when there’s nowhere really to go due to COVID, I’ve looked forward to my daily dose of FR. I look forward to reading about the other sentencings.
He can be forgotten now. It’s time to move on to the others, and soon, close this whole sad chapter.
I’d be interested to see just how Nicki and the others are coping with this. Will they do an interview for FR? Perhaps that is why Keith had them speak to you last week. He knew they would need a place to go to keep the story alive, and after his sentencing, he would have had no way to convince them to do so.
I hope FR is continued to be used for good and to help Nicki and the others to wake up. By getting them to acknowledge FR, maybe Keith did a good deed after all, even if he didn’t mean to.
Unfortunately, reading Nicki’s Twitter posts, I don’t see much chance in the current time that her mindset will change. She’s still a Keith fan. Maybe later when he experiences more and develops who she really is.
Thank you, Frank, for all you have done. I look forward to other posts in the future. How did it feel to win this long battle?