JOHN TIGHE: My Story: A Pause to Answer Some Questions

John Tighe, photo taken from prison.

By: John Tighe

So far in this series, I have only written briefly about the many issues and problems I encountered during my blogging days and my time in prison. But since so many Frank Report readers have asked questions about those two topics, I think it makes sense to stop and answer some of those questions before I move on to finish this series.

*****

Accusations From NXIVM Members

The one from StevenJ:

“Among them police reports from lots of NXIVM people saying that John was [sort of] stalking them. According to the testimonies (might not be 100% true, considering who complained), he showed up at houses, rang Nancy’s doorbell for 10 minutes, took pictures of members when they were leaving buildings/restaurants, took pictures during Vanguard week, had his wife involved in this.”

I have never stalked anyone. Fred the Butcher – who was the store owner right next to the NXIVM-owned Apropos funhouse – hated them. Fred let me park in front of his store in plain sight – and under his security camera – to photograph people coming out of – and going into – Apropos.

I drive a convertible – and, unless it was freezing or raining, I would always put the top down whenever I was taking pictures of anyone. I also had my wife accompany me whenever I did this in order to protect me from unfounded accusations such as these.

John Tighe

I never hid in bushes or set foot on NXIVM property. Of course, the NXIVM lie machine would go into overdrive whenever I showed up near one of their events.

The usual routine was something like this:

  • Someone from NXIVM would see me in my open car near Apropos – or out in the open in a public place like the road in the Silver Bay resort.
  • They would call the local sheriff’s office or the NYS Police – and I would suddenly be surrounded by deputy sheriffs or NYSP troopers.
  • I would be asked to produce my ID and explain what I was doing – which I always did without any hesitance or objection.
  • The deputy sheriffs or troopers would shake their heads – and leave.

As for the various “crimes” you have asked about, here are my responses:

  • Ringing Nancy’s doorbell: Hard to do when I was under a timed surveillance system.
  • Harassing NXIVM members: Also hard to do when I was sitting in my car on private land with the express permission of the owner – or when I was on public land such as the road at the Silver Bay resort.
  • Stalking Kristen Keeffe and her child: Once again, very hard to do since I have never laid eyes on either of them.

On one occasion, I did have a crew from Nightline with me – along with Heidi Hutchinson [Gina’s sister] – when we drove by Keith Raniere and Mark Vicente as they were walking along one of the streets in Knox Woods (You should have seen these two besties run from me like two scared jackrabbits). I was really glad the Nightline crew was with me because Raniere and Vicente called the police and claimed that I had threatened them and tried to run them over. Of course, the Nightline crew confirmed that we never stopped, chased, or talked to either of them. Keith and Vicente are both lying POS.

Mark Vicente with his then-bestie, Keith Raniere

 

Mark Vicente and Keith Raniere

 

Mark Vicente with Keith Raniere in Raniere’s library.

 

Mark Vicente and Keith Raniere. It was a brotherly kiss.

At Vanguard Week, I stayed on a public road and waited for NXIVM members to come to me. Which they did. I had a camera in plain sight – which is always how I carried my camera. They threatened me, spit at me, and had 911 on speed dial. When a deputy sheriff arrived, they falsely claimed that I was planning to poison their drinking water and that I was there to kidnap their children. It’s funny how just a few years later, someone did poison the food at V-Week. Seems they were projecting on me a plan they were already developing.

*****

Necker Island Photos & Sex Questions

I don’t know the name of the person who gave me the photos and intel regarding the meeting of NXIVM elites on Necker Island. But it was a staff member who worked there – and who was sick and tired of being treated like shit and being forced to clean up their vomit, used condoms, and dirty underwear.

According to this person, they were like rabbits fucking on floors, behind the bar, and on the furniture. And yes, according to this same person, Sara Bronfman did fuck the married Richard Bronson at this little get-together.

Branson Bronfman
RIchard Branson and Sara Bronfman.

Like most rich, white trash, they were lousy tippers. After the debauchery of the NXIVM meeting, the entire compound on Necker Island suffered extensive damage from a fire – and it was later destroyed by a hurricane. No worries, Epstein’s little private island was just a couple hundred sea miles away.

Necker Island

By the way, I have first-hand knowledge of Sara the slut trying to fuck a local business owner and philanthropist. He was a happily married man and was so disgusted by the little slut’s come-on to him that he became one of my biggest supporters.

I could write a whole chapter on NXIVM trying to infiltrate the local Waldorf School in Saratoga Springs. From false accusations of child abuse by staff to out-and-out blanket threats going as far as planting drugs in a car and trying to set up a man with a NXIVM prostitute. Fortunately, justice prevailed and they were all kicked out. Ed Mitzen, the primary victim of their hate campaign, is now a Saratoga Springs success story and its biggest philanthropist since Mary Lou Whitney.

According to Keith, this goes against his core beliefs and those of NXIVM about “the weak” – and how he despised the softer side of humanity, such as empathy, generosity, and familial bonds. Well, Keith, Ed is doing great. Rich, joyful and admired.

You see, Keith, real people create real companies, hire real people, and make people’s lives better. They understand that with success comes responsibility to the less fortunate. Your numerous attempts to destroy Ed only left him stronger and wiser. Funny how your “technology” destroyed the lives of so many of your believers – but, in this case, you and your evil, soul-sucking tech made one good man greater than he otherwise might have been.

Viva Executive Success!

*****

How did I feel when I heard that NXIVM had fallen apart?

One word: Joyful.

I received the Times Union throughout the time I was in prison – and I read every word of every edition.

Sad Vanguard

When I read about the collapse of NXIVM, it gave me strength and deep satisfaction.

*****

Why was one doctor so much better than the other at FMC Devens?

Dr. Death was a drunken employee of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

His replacement, Dr. Yea, was a doctor from the US Public Health Services.

That made all the difference in the world.

*****

What was the funniest thing that happened in prison?

This is somewhat gross but, since you asked that question, I’ll answer it.

The food in prison is really, really bad. You line up outside – no matter what the weather is – to get in for a tray of shit. Then you find a seat and get ten minutes to eat it with another inmate lurking around waiting to take your seat.

One day an inmate snapped. He was a generally nondescript black man about 40-years-old. As he stood in line this day, he had a grin on his face. When he got up to the head of the chow line, he calmly pulled down his pants, squatted on the floor, and took a dump. Yes, you read that right.

I first heard groans – and then lots of yelling. Fights broke out – and CS gas was released from the ceiling.

At that point, it turned into a full riot.

See the source image
Picture of a prison riot

I just started laughing and couldn’t stop.

Crawling around on all fours to get away from the chaos and the CS gas was just funny to me.

I made it back to my unit and wasn’t one of the hundreds of inmates who were picked up by the COs.

But as a collective punishment, we received nothing but cold food for a month.

*****

What was your worst moment in prison?

That’s easy…It was when an inmate was almost beaten to death by three COs.

All three of them were eventually indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Boston on multiple charges after they were turned in by staff at the hospital where the beaten prisoner was taken for treatment.

But watching it happen – and not being able to do anything about it – was both frustrating and chilling.

******

Is there a lot of sex in prison?

Yes, there is a lot of consensual gay sex.

Because FMC Devens is a medical facility, we had several transsexual inmates. Most were drug addicts and would trade sex for drugs.

******

Is there a lot of rape in prison?

I only know of one inmate who was raped. He owed the wrong people a lot of money.

*****

Is there a lot of contraband in prison?

You can buy just about anything you want in prison.

At FMC Devens, the Yard was the marketplace.

Used shoes and commissary clothes were always lined up on the bleachers by guys who needed money.

Porn and inmate artists would hand draw child porn to sell to Pedos.

There were all sorts of drugs available, but K-2 was the most common one. One inmate died of an overdose of K-2 while I was there.

Synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, in a 2010 file image.
Most popular drug in prison

Cigarettes were 5 bucks apiece.

Homemade hooch was of various qualities.

Cell phones could be rented by the minute, or you could buy one with various service plans.

One inmate was caught with a smartphone with photos of a naked nurse from the clinic on it. Yes, there was also sex between inmates and staff.

So, where does all this contraband come from?

Where do you think? Staff.

Before inmates can enter the Visiting Room, they are stripped-searched. The same is true after visits are over.

Our families are also searched – and have to go through metal detectors on the way in and on the way out.

SO, WHO ELSE DO YOU THINK COULD BRING IN SO MUCH CONTRABAND?

*****

Who was your most interesting cellmate?

Cannibal Dave….in a heartbeat.

When I came back to Devens after being burned, I needed an elevated bed. The only one they had was in Cannibal Dave’s cell. Everyone was busting my balls and telling me not to fall asleep because Dave was always hungry.

When I finally was taken to my new cell, I found out that Dave was an elderly, dying old man who had all his teeth pulled years ago.

He explained to me that thirty years ago – and while in a drug and alcohol-fueled rage – he killed his gay lover. After that, he hid the body in the trunk of his car – and drove away looking for a remote place (Because he drove across state lines, it became a federal crime). He then drove down a dirt road – and had a kind of cookout.

Thirty years later and facing death, he was glad just to have someone to talk to. I listened – and shared some of my commissary food and some Diet Cokes with him.

I explained things like cell phones and the internet to him.  Shortly after I was moved out, Dave died.

When I spoke at his memorial service, I said: “Sometimes a person can do truly awful, terrible things. Sometimes, those things are too awful for them to ever be in free society again. But that person may still be a decent person. There are bad people who sometimes do good things. And there are decent people who, while whacked out of their minds on drugs and alcohol, can do horrible things. I know Dave will never be forgiven in this life but, hopefully, he can be in the next.”

Now that I’m no longer in prison, I can add the part that I didn’t say at Dave’s service:

“Then there are people like Keith Raniere who have no remorse or regret – and who are a human cancer that eats the healthy souls and spirit of innocent people. For Keith – and others like him – there is no redemption or redeeming qualities. The cure for cancer is separation or destruction from healthy tissue. So, must it be with Keith. He is toxic and I won’t be speaking at his memorial.”

MK10ART’s sketch of Keith Raniere

*****

Were there any murders or suicides when you were in prison?

I only know of one possible murder – an inmate who was found hanging in a shower. The prison staff said it was a suicide – but people who knew him said it was murder.

There were a couple of stabbings every year – but no one died from them.

As for suicides… A lot of attempts – and a few successes.

As for beat-downs…too many to remember. Gambling debts were the single biggest problem, then drugs. One way or another, all debts must be paid in prison.

*****

That’s it for this post

Next: Part 4.

Keep sending in your comments and questions!

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    • Have you read his articles? If you had, you’d know his answers.
      1. It wasn’t his computer.
      2. It was planted.

      Welcome back from Boys Town, Scoot.

      • I didn’t know he had a radio show!!! I assume it’s out of Port Arthur? What is it on the dial?

        Good info. Next thing, you’ll tell us he some high quality detergent he’s hawking out of his mom’s basement…

        • — I didn’t know he had a radio show!!!

          If you define radio show, by two paper cups connected by string; then yes, he has a radio show.
          ***

          Listen tonight and increase his audience by 100%. 😉

          • With the miraculous return of Jim Brown – errrrrrrrr With the eye-rolling return of Scooter, poor niceguy picked an unfortunate time to self-punish with a 2 week FR ban.

          • Dearest Scotty Johnson,

            “NiceGuy666 self-punishes himself every- day of his life.”

            Funny Scott, cuz your wife feels punished everyday she wakes up – and you’re still alive………One day she’ll be pleasantly surprised.
            *****

            BTW: You should interview Alonzo on your *sic radio show. He is an expert on anticultists. Plus, Alonzo makes, even, you look like a winner. 😉

        • Just a rumor or a slander:
          Didn’t someone once claim that Scott Johnson can’t park his car in the garage because he stores huge amounts of Amway washing powder in his garage that he still hasn’t gotten rid of since he left Amway.

          • —My mom didn’t have a basement when she was alive.

            Nope, there is definitely no basement!
            ….Trailers don’t have basements.
            ***

            Sadly, Scott’s mom, like Scott, rented her trailer. So Scott got no inheritance save a bottle of gin, a DVD player, and a pair of used dentures.

      • Amazing that the Amway Cowboy came back….

        Is the new job at the gas station mini-mart allowing you to afford internet access again?

  • “According to this person, they were like rabbits fucking on floors, behind the bar, and on the furniture”.

    Hey John, do you remember when you published the Necker Island articles on your Saratoga In Decline blog in 2012? Do you remember that crazy commentator who kept arguing with you about NXIVM member Kristin Kreuk regarding her NXIVM project Girls By Design and such?

    After your website was shut down, he migrated over to the Frank Report as “SultanOfSix” and many other aliases to defend her from all NXIVM related discussions, lasting several years.

    So John, who was the bigger “rabbit”, Kristin Kreuk or Allison Mack?

    And is it true NXIVM cult members did partner swapping?

    The filthy swines.

      • Geewilikers, swapping should be investigated and exposed. That could fill a hole season of The Vow or Seduced.

        Time for Edmonson, Kreuk, Vincenti and others to cum clean and show us the sex in sex cult.

    • It is also a good opportunity for NXIVM and Raniere, if these orgies were secretly filmed, to use them to significantly and effectively compromise the “participants” and use them as collateral, or in other words, to use these recordings later as a means of blackmail and forced silence, if necessary.

      • Spanky “the mad spanker” sultan of six would pay BIG for copies of these skin flics providing his dream spank kruek had a role.

      • Makes me think that some of the thousands of “fake” Kook porn online may actually be real. Who would know except her and the guy or guys or guys and gals involved?

  • Mark Vicente strikes me as a mentally underdeveloped individual who’s borderline on being classified as intellectually retarded by modern psychiatry. He appears to have been subjected to serious psychiatric trauma in his first years of life.

    Would be very interesting to see how Paul, our contributing psychiatrist, would evaluate this unfortunate specimen.

  • Nicki is taking a break on Twitter. I wonder how long her break will last? Maybe she’s relaxing on vacation? Her commitment to Raniere must be exhausting if it’s as unsuccessful as it was expected to be.

    • Nicki Slyme might be in trouble (God willing). Vicente posted something interesting on Twitter.
      “Hmmm….looks like they’re starting to turn on each other.”

  • Is the story about Steve Pidgeon not interesting enough?

    Spectrum News 1

    WNY political operative Steve Pigeon charged with raping a child
    By Ryan Whalen Buffalo
    PUBLISHED 8:43 PM ET Dec. 02, 2021
    BUFFALO, N.Y. — Controversial former Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Steve Pigeon entered the courtroom Thursday in shackles and a prison jumpsuit.

    His attorneys pleaded not guilty on his behalf to six charges, including two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child and rape in the first degree.

    “This is rape,” Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. “This isn’t child molestation. This is rape.”

    Flynn said sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2016, Pigeon allegedly committed two separate sex acts in one evening against a child younger than 11.

    “At the end of the day, it’s a child’s word versus his word and I believe the child,” he said. “I’m standing with the child and I’m going to get the child justice.”

    Without going into details, Flynn said his office had enough evidence to build the case. He said around the time the investigation began this summer, Pigeon texted someone in the orbit of the victim, asking what was going on. Flynn said later that day, Pigeon showed up to the victim’s house and, at a later date, two of his friends also went to the victim’s house.

    “We believe he thought or knew that something that was going on because the victim’s orbit of area was not responding to him,” Flynn said.

    These aren’t Pigeon’s first issues with the law, although Flynn made clear they’re the most serious. He’s currently awaiting sentencing on state and federal convictions connected to bribing a judge and illegal political donations.

    “I can tell you that this case right here has absolutely nothing to do with any of his previous charges,” Flynn said.

    Pigeon was held without bail until the court assigns a permanent judge to the case. He is scheduled back in court Monday for a hearing.

    Flynn said his office will continue to argue for no bail.

    “I do not believe that Mr. Pigeon should be out of jail,” he said. “I believe he should be in jail for the rest of his life.”

    Pigeon’s attorney argued in court he is not a flight risk but had no comment for reporters.

    https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/politics/2021/12/02/wny-political-operative-steve-pigeon-charged-with-raping-a-child

  • John, this was a funny and at times heart-touching story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

    I look forward to your next article.
    ***

    Was it tough falling asleep the first night you bunked with Cannibal Dave?
    (Rhetorical question) 😉

  • Branston (as he’s known here in the UK) has also had a connection with another, er, cultic group, in that he’s shown on an archived EDUCO website with Dave O’Connor here https://web.archive.org/web/20080125225125/http://www.educomindpower.com/David_OConnor_Educo_Trainer.htm . Frank’s article on EDUCO (https://frankreport.com/2021/06/21/a-cult-similar-to-nxivm-a-man-similar-to-raniere-meet-tony-quinn-of-educo/ ) is now the third Google result for “Dr Tony Quinn”

    • Bit O’ Trivia:
      In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic which saw a dramatic decline in international air travel of around 60% globally,[97] Branson and Virgin attracted criticism by asking staff to take eight weeks’ unpaid leave.[98] In response to the global pandemic, Branson put his luxury Necker Island up as collateral for a commercial loan to save Virgin Atlantic from going bust.

    • I missed Frank’s article on EDUCO when it was originally posted.

      It’s interesting to see yet another high control group or cult leader with a background in hypnosis. In Nxivm, Raniere was adept with techniques like NLP, which is itself a derivative of the Ericksonian hypnosis that Nancy Salman directly studied; and in Scientology, Hubbard was a very capable stage hypnotist who had a keen understanding of the techniques others used as well, and who set up the “auditing” that members are subject to, based on putting subjects into a light trance, intended as a sort of therapy but which also leaves then vulnerable to suggestion and manipulation.

  • Thanks, John. I have a some questions I’ve wondered about, and am hoping you have thoughts on.

    – Who do you think The Rat is? I’ve changed my opinion on this over the years, and now see Fluffy as the heavy favorite.

    – Pre-Frank Report, I remember reading a blog post or something similar from a guy who was saw Keith walking in the neighborhood. Apparently, Keith took off running through yards to escape the guy. Was their somebody else blogging about / keeping an eye on NXIVM, or would this have been you that Keith was running from?

    – In regards to your situation, what would you like people like Vicente and Kristin Keeffe do? IMO, they owe you some explanations and some apologies.

    – Do you have opinions on each of the deaths of The Lost Women of NXIVM?

    – I’m especially curious about your thoughts on Kristin Snyder. Related to this, what did you think about Ed Kinum? I’ve been very disappointed he hasn’t (as far as I know) shared what he knows about Kristin’s disappearance.

    – Do you think Clare Bronfman is evil, stupid, or equal amounts of both?

    • All good questions Nutjob, especially the first one. I’d refrain from using the nickname “Fluffy” though. His name is Adrian. Maybe he likes it but I’d speculate it’s a name keith made up to humiliate him due to his role in videotaping keith raping his sisters.

      If we get to ask John other questions –

      – What lengths are you planning to go to, or would you go to, to indict Rodger Kirsopp, Soares, and the others that fucked you over? Would you work with keith if it meant he got a reduced sentence in exchange for putting them away?

      – Who in NXIVM has escaped punishment that you’d most like to see arrested ?

      – Did the other prisoners and guards believe you were set up, how did it change when keith was arrested?

      – Are you going to send keith a Christmas card?

      These anecdotes you have provided John are pure gold. Thank you.

    • —In regards to your situation, what would you like people like Vicente do?

      WTF, dipshit type of question is that?

      Vicente is a goddamn cowardly [redacted] weasel. Vicente doesn’t do ANYTHING unless it benefits himself in someway.

      There is as much chance of Vicente helping John out – as there is of having a normal conversation with Patriot God!

      Kumbaya, Nutjob! Kumbaya! 😉
      ***
      My two-week sabbatical starts now! 😉

      • What will John’s answer be to the dipshit question?

        1. Fuck them! They can lick my hairy azz.

        2. I’m had 5+ years to move on. I don’t give them a thought and don’t care what they do.

        3. They could throw me an apology. I know I should forgive them for my own health, and an apology could help me get to that spot.

        4. I want to know the details. How did I get set-up? Who was in on it? Let me pick their brains.

        5. They could help me out. Here’s how they could help….

  • Necker Island Photos & Sex Questions
    I don’t know the name of the person who gave me the photos and intel regarding the meeting of NXIVM elites on Necker Island. But it was a staff member who worked there – and who was sick and tired of being treated like shit and being forced to clean up their vomit, used condoms, and dirty underwear.

    According to this person, they were like rabbits fucking on floors, behind the bar, and on the furniture.
    ——————–
    Thanks for answering my question, John. It seems hard to believe that many rabbits were lining up to fuck Clare. Whereas popular Ms. Kreuk might have had two or even three guys at a time burrowing in her rabbit holes.

About the Author

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist.

His work has been cited in hundreds of news outlets, like The New York Times, The Daily Mail, VICE News, CBS News, Fox News, New York Post, New York Daily News, Oxygen, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, The Sun, The Times of London, CBS Inside Edition, among many others in all five continents.

His work to expose and take down NXIVM is featured in books like “Captive” by Catherine Oxenberg, “Scarred” by Sarah Edmonson, “The Program” by Toni Natalie, and “NXIVM. La Secta Que Sedujo al Poder en México” by Juan Alberto Vasquez.

Parlato has been prominently featured on HBO’s docuseries “The Vow” and was the lead investigator and coordinating producer for Investigation Discovery’s “The Lost Women of NXIVM.” He also appeared in "Branded and Brainwashed: Inside NXIVM, and was credited in the Starz docuseries "Seduced" for saving 'slave' women from being branded and escaping the sex-slave cult known as DOS.

Additionally, Parlato’s coverage of the group OneTaste, starting in 2018, helped spark an FBI investigation, which led to indictments of two of its leaders in 2023.

Parlato appeared on the Nancy Grace Show, Beyond the Headlines with Gretchen Carlson, Dr. Oz, American Greed, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, where Parlato conducted the first-ever interview with Keith Raniere after his arrest. This was ironic, as many credit Parlato as one of the primary architects of his arrest and the cratering of the cult he founded.

Parlato is a consulting producer and appears in TNT's The Heiress and the Sex Cult, which premieres on May 22, 2022.

IMDb — Frank Parlato

Contact Frank with tips or for help.
Phone / Text: (305) 783-7083
Email: frankparlato@gmail.com

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