Frank Parlato
Frank Parlato and Suneel Chakravorty are the authors of this series. Parlato is a critic of Keith Raniere. Chakravorty is Raniere’s power of attorney. This series examines allegations that the FBI tampered with evidence. Raniere has not reviewed this series before publication. Neither has the FBI.
The series relates incidents drawn from many sources. Among the sources are media reports and trial testimony. This does not mean it is true. Instead, it is an assertion that a witness testified to it or the media reported it.
Chakravorty notes he became closer acquainted with Raniere after his conviction. Still, he enters this project convinced the FBI tampered with evidence. Chakravorty has experience in computer technology. He spent more than two years investigating the issue.
Parlato did not enter the project convinced or unconvinced. He observed in his own case how the FBI can be willfully blind to justice. That they ignore facts. That truth became secondary to an indictment. And justice was not the priority of the Department of Justice.
Their business is taking human freedom away, and the misnomer of ‘justice’ in their name supports their enterprise. People are their commodity. Justice is costly. It would shatter the bottom line if the Department of Justice were forced to adhere to justice over the need for convictions. It’s business. It’s nothing personal. Winning over truth. It is only personal to the one who is charged.
Parlato’s case began when Clare Bronfman filed a criminal complaint against him. Raniere was Clare’s mentor. Both are in prison. Many believe Parlato had a hand in that. If the tampering allegations are valid in Raniere’s case, others may go to prison.
Parlato states his commitment is to report the facts in an unbiased manner. He is an opponent of Raniere and believes Raniere and Bronfman used the FBI as a weapon against him.
He says he would not use the same methods he believes the FBI, the DOJ, and Raniere and Bronfman used against him. He wishes readers to decide if there is more to consider in the Raniere – FBI tampering matter.
He prefers readers not to know his opinion and let them decide for themselves. The authors believe their efforts may have value if they do their job well. They are on opposite sides, collaborating on an issue that transcends their dispute.
Their dispute is their opposite view of Raniere. Their common goal is to try to discover the truth. Both of us agree that it is wrong if the FBI tampered with evidence, even if that person is guilty of the crime.
The purpose is not to determine whether Raniere is a good man or a devil. The goal is not to reassess his guilt or innocence of the underlying charges. The purpose is to find out if the FBI tampered with evidence to convict him of specific charges. We must give even the devil his due process.
There may be many who presume regularity with the FBI and federal prosecutors. The authors do not give the FBI or the DOJ a presumption of regularity. Neither do we presume they have malintent.
The reader is welcome to participate. The comments section is accessible to everyone. Please keep your comments on point for this series. Our focus is narrow. It involves one crime of conviction — Racketeering. The analysis is about predicate acts of the racketeering charges. Those predicate acts are sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child porn. Were these fueled by evidence tampering?
This series does not address the legal ramifications of what tampering might mean if it is true. Whether it would entitle Raniere to a new trial or a reduction in his sentence is irrelevant. Our goal is to put facts before the public in easy-to-comprehend language.
Now let us begin.
Raniere co-founded ESP in 1998. He co-founded NXIVM in 2003. The company headquarters was in Albany, New York.
NXIVM offered workshops based on the teachings of Raniere. The courses provided “educational tools, coaching, and trainings” on success.
In his own words, Raniere is an “ethicist” whose “ethical teachings… have focused on raising the level of humanity within each person.”
NXIVM was hierarchical. Participants who attended classes and recruited students could rise in rank. People who took courses were sometimes referred to as Nxians. During class, Nxians wore colored sashes with stripes to show their rank.
Women
Raniere had relationships with multiple women. Most of them were students and employees of NXIVM. Some considered the date when they first had sex with Raniere as their anniversary.
FBI Special Agent Michael Lever wrote, “Raniere has maintained a rotating group of fifteen to twenty women…. These women are not permitted to have sexual relationships with anyone but Raniere or to discuss with others their relationships with Raniere.”
The Department of Justice alleged that the 25 people in the photo above were his inner circle. Raniere had intimate relationships with 19 of the 20 women.
3 Flintlock
From 1989 until around 2014, Raniere lived with several women in a modest townhouse at 3 Flintlock Lane in Clifton Park, NY.
Some of his students moved to the area to be near him.
8 Hale
According to sources, Raniere used 8 Hale for about 10 years, then around 2014, he used it less. After that, it became more of a storage area. Raniere moved into a much larger home at 21 Oregon Trail, a few blocks away in Clifton Park.
For this analysis, our period of concern with the townhouse is from November 2005 through February 2010.
The two screenshots above are from a video made in 2012.
The FBI alleged that the black hard drive with the blue light stored 22 naked photos of 15-year-old Camila. The FBI alleged Raniere took her pictures with the Canon camera they found under his desk.
They alleged they knew the dates he took the pictures because of the metadata they found on the digital files.
Camila did not testify.
The FBI pinpointed the precise dates he allegedly took the photos through the metadata. They said it was November 2 and November 24, 2005.
They based their allegations on metadata embedded in the image files. When the metadata contradicted itself – as it did – the FBI testified why some metadata was more reliable than other metadata.
The ones that contradicted these dates were less reliable.
Raniere had access to 8 Hale during 2005. 8 Hale was not used as storage then.
Raniere knew Camila in 2005. She lived nearby in Clifton Park.
Camila was born on March 1, 1990. She was 15 years, eight months, and a day on November 2, 2005, which was the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
But this was Clifton Park, New York, USA. And the federal law for photographing subjects for lascivious purposes is 18.
The FBI took the photos below of 8 Hale on March 27, 2018.
This would be 12 and a half years after the alleged crimes.
They raided the property in search of other crimes unrelated to Camila. The FBI search warrant limited their search for evidence of crimes committed on or after January 1, 2015.
That was nine years and three months after the alleged Camila-related crime.
In 2018, 8 Hale shows clear signs that Raniere had not used the property for some time.
But 8 Hale was in use in November 2005.
A spiral staircase led upstairs to an office.
The FBI observed that the whiteboard had the same notes when they raided the townhouse in 2018 as it did in 2012. The hard drive was in the same place – next to a silver docking station.
The FBI found the camera under the desk and the hard drive on a shelf.
The FBI found the black hard drive in the precise location in the 2012 video. Right next to a silver docking station – a device that computer users use with hard drives.
Upstairs, there was also a hot tub and sauna.
See Part #2
Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere
***
You can read Raniere’s Rule 33 Motion on FBI Tampering here.
You can read Dr. Kiper’s Expert Report here.
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere Part #2 Analysis of FBI Tampering Daniela and Her Relationship With Raniere and Computers Part 3: Analysis of Alleged FBI Tampering — Camila Part #4 Analysis of Alleged FBI Tampering: The Search of 8 Hale and the Wrong Picture of the Hard Drive Part #5 Alleged FBI Tampering: Delay, Delay, and Hide the Camera Card Part #6: Alleged FBI Tampering: Accidental Discovery of Child Porn on Hard Drive Part 7 Alleged FBI Tampering – New Photos Appear on Camera Card After FBI Lost Custody […]
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere Part #2 Analysis of FBI Tampering Daniela and Her Relationship With Raniere and Computers Part 3: Analysis of Alleged FBI Tampering — Camila Part #4 Analysis of Alleged FBI Tampering: The Search of 8 Hale and the Wrong Picture of the Hard Drive Part #5 Alleged FBI Tampering: Delay, Delay, and Hide the Camera Card Part #6: Alleged FBI Tampering: Accidental Discovery of Child Porn on Hard Drive Frank Parlato […]
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
The argument of “if I did it, I would never have been so stupid as to leave evidence” might convince a person’s friends of innocence, but rarely if ever will it convince a judge and jury.
How many murderers who were clever enough to remove every single shred of evidence at a crime scene were then “stupid” enough to keep a souvenir in their own home? I suppose they could argue law-enforcement planted that souvenir. But usually there is a compulsion to keep those souvenirs. And even clever criminals make stupid mistakes. Maybe Keith Raniere would never have left that evidence there and it was indeed planted, but just the fact that it was left there and he says he wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that means zip.
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
They didn’t find the hard drive in a freezer, hidden in a box of Blue Bell Vanilla. They found it in the study next to the computers. Not exactly shocking. Nor is it shocking that law enforcement was looking for digital images from a criminal known to demand pornographic photos from his many victims & who was a known predator of minor girls. Is it being alleged that the hard drive wasn’t in the study, but was placed there by the FBI? And the images themselves. They aren’t of Camila? They aren’t of Camila at 15? Where would the feds get images of Camila as a child?
Raniere probably took a thousand photos of Camila underage. My only interest is did the FBI get the images they presented off the hard drive they said they seized. And did they or anyone tamper with the metadata?
It is not about Keith. It’s about the FBI and their process. Maybe they are clean on this. I hope so. But there is a lot more evidence to present.
[…] Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
Isn’t this about the one hundredth time this story has been told
Is it another slow week for the Frank Report or are the NXIVM loyalists on their knees or fed roping off a bag of goodies to get this reprinted Frank?
How many more times do we have to suffer through FBI tampering stories
Since the 2nd Circuit is in summer break there isn’t going to be an answer on Raniere’s appeal until early fall, at least.
There isn’t going to be any movement on his motions with Judge Garaufis until the 2nd circuit comes back with an answer.
Now are we stuck with FBI tampering crap until the fall?
If so, I’m going to go listen to podcast or find something else to do. This is old and boring Frank. What gives, there is no new evidence on this
Move on, even the comments are boring
Firmly agree. It is just a PR tactic. They believe if they say something enough times there is a portion of low-information and gullible public who may accept it as truth.
It’s also a search tactic. If you put out a bunch of BS articles to counter all of the legitimate news about a court case for example when people search they will have other things, then just the factual reporting turn up on the search. People do it to bury things. Any intelligent person who digs even slightly is going to realize it’s just bogus public relations
Has Suneel turned over the collateral to the civil court and the defendant?
If he didn’t, it’s past due.
I’m sure he did though because there is no subsequent court order on the docket.
Please write a post about this – it’s a big deal and you have completely ignored it. This really shows your bias.
I read the comments first and since most said it was the same old, same old, I decided not to read it.
It’s becoming a snooze.
I like that he thinks lne^-1 is somehow something other than -1.
[…] See: Part #1: Analysis of Allegations of FBI Tampering in USA v Raniere […]
LOL!
These clowns think the FBI planted evidence for a hack with an established pattern of behavior that spanned decades?
This is now the spew they are trying to sell?
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Narcissism at its finest.
Bye.
Hard drive was still there because Raniere is a lazy ass who has always walked away from his messes and expected others to clean up after him – this is no different.
Here’s some examples from way back when:
He sublet a room in a frat house for summer vacation between RPI semesters when his usual dorm was not available. Left his stuff there. Over a year later when I was then in the picture, he asked me to go retrieve his things from the frat.
He built a loft in his dorm room and neglected to deal with it before the clear out date. Asked me to track it down and retrieve it. It was already at the dump. I think he was disappointed I couldn’t magic it out of there – pretty ridiculous since the thing was made of wood (2x8s I believe) he lifted from construction at RPI and altogether it weighed more than I did.
He got pulled over and arrested for driving with a suspended license due to several unpaid traffic/speeding tickets. I tracked all of them down; got the information on what was owed where; wrote out the checks; addressed and stamped the envelopes. All he had to do was sign them and mail them. Heck, I might even still have been willing to mail them for him at that point in time. He never bothered. He doesn’t drive probably because he still has never dealt with his license suspension.
Was this more serious than those examples – yes. But it’s all just a narcissistic pattern and lack of consideration for the consequences of his actions. Of course the FBI went straight to retrieving the electronic and photographic items – plenty of witnesses to say he had digital blackmail (oh, so sorry – collateral) and even a visual record (thanks, Mark Vicente) of where some of that may have been dumped. Nothing new here, just Raniere’s usual habit of being a lazy dumbass.
These are valid points. The monster might have laid his own trap by leaving the hard drive or forgetting about it. Still, I want to air it all. This is really about answering Raniere’s allegations. And investigating the actions of others as well as him.
Have at it. Where I am able to add something to the conversation, I’ll chime in. I don’t have anything to add about the FBI agents involved. I know my conversation with the FBI regarding my experiences with Raniere gave me a few “aha” moments that cleared up some things in my own past with him, but I know nothing of the agents habits or ethics.
I am not taking sides on this. I want to present the facts. After that, I have nothing to add. I know Raniere cannot be trusted. My only question is can we trust the FBI?
Frank that’s where you can lose people. Now you’re making a jump into can we trust the FBI in general. You haven’t even proven. There is a reason to distrust the FBI in the case of Keith and his conviction.
And now you’re just randomly throwing out that we cannot trust the FBI in general. We’ve had this discussion before in regard to prosecutors.
These are individual people you’re talking about and it’s very lazy and dangerous to just paint every single person with the same brush It is naive to say that all prosecutors are bad or all government agents are bad just that’s name as it is naive to say that they are all good. it also proves you are not unbiased.
You definitely want to prove. The Law & Order branch of the government cannot be trusted. That’s a very popular opinion And it is always good to be skeptical of those in power. But don’t pretend that you have no skin in the game!
Have to agree with Anonymous 4.55pm and the Raniere lazyass comments from L too. Not a lot here to prove or even convincingly suggest FBI tampering
ROFLMAO. What a great post!
L it’s true. A lazy dumbass and also a narcissist doesn’t believe for one moment he is in the wrong, why would he go to any extreme effort when he can word salad, explains everything away and have a big whole list of people to blame them set his flying monkey acolytes on the attack? His arrest photo sums all up – complete shock that this could ever happen. Decades of evading suspicion or should I say buying law enforcement off enforces this delusions.
I would only like to add that on the day of his arrest in Mexico, he was so off in his calculations that he was planning a recommitment ceremony. Which was group fellatio with five of his slaves.
So, picture this: He wakes up planning his quintuple blow job and goes to sleep in a Mexican jail waiting to be flown to the FBI in Dallas.
Precisely this! He just didn’t see it coming, it would never happen to him, he believed that he is above being arrested.
I hope he hadn’t prepared too well for that ceremony and taken his blue pills before they came a knocking. That would have been awkward when they searched him.
Yes, it’s priceless!
L
Your comments are so astute. Value your perspective!
So the few carefully curated crumbs from the DOS handbook (FINALLY) were a compromise?
Or a shield of sorts for plausible deniability as a current “free Keith Raniere” advocate?.
And dear Lord. This will be a ‘series’? Of the same exhaustively rehashed claims?
Like why an object is on a bookshelf for 1 moment in time?
If you had substantial new “proof” that would be the headline. And the whole post.
One doesn’t play PR games while their Vanguard rots in prison.
It would be a quick, concise LEGAL filing.
But there is no “proof” of anything but Keith Alan Raniere’s guilt.
Keith gambled. He lost. He should have taken a plea. Did his time. Retired on Clare’s island in Fiji to play his cult games unfettered for his remaining days.
Now Keith will die behind the walls.
Maybe you’re right. But let us see what the rest of the evidence is. I am trying to present it in a fair and unbiased manner. There is more evidence. Maybe none of it means anything. But I am going to present it.
Fair enough.
But can’t you please post more DOS handbook to at least cleanse the palate now?
Thank you in advance!
Yes I will give another important lesson – and please do not get branded until you read lesson 7.
Shoot! Too late. But am looking forward to the lesson anyway.
We already know what the rest of Chakravorty’s “evidence” is. Like Clean Conviction wrote, this is just a rehash of what he’s been saying for months. If you two had anything convincing you’d have led with it.
The idea that there’s a case to investigate here is nonsense. All there is is some ridiculous unfounded allegations by a Raniere cult diehard. And a lot of padding.
Well if that is true, it will soon become evident. As I said I have no desire to reveal my position until the evidence is presented. Maybe others could do it in fewer words.
Maybe you’ve read much of the material before but others have not. I will be presenting the evidence I know and then you can see if your position is exactly what it is now.
What a crock.
This piece is woefully mistitled. It is neither an “analysis” nor an “investigation”, it’s a hatchet job on the DOJ and the FBI.
It’s laughable! First, Frank (using the third person, presumably for the illusion of distance and objectivity) assures us that this will be a purely forensic and utterly disinterested inquiry into the pure unsullied facts of the “case”. Followed immediately by a diatribe against the DOJ and the FBI.
He accuses the FBI of ignoring facts and of being blind to justice.
“Their business is taking human freedom away, and the misnomer of ‘justice’ in their name supports their enterprise. People are their commodity. …it would shatter the bottom line if the Department of Justice were forced to adhere to justice over the need for convictions. It’s business…Winning over truth. “
Yeah. After that I’m gonna accept what follows as an unbiased inquiry and analysis.
And what follows is the same tired, pathetic verbose narrative that cult loyalist Chakravorty cooked up well over a year ago. We’ve heard it all before and it gets thinner and less convincing with each telling.
Irrelevant details, one after the other, on and on, evidently in an attempt to appear thorough. Irrelevant detail is also a classic Nxivm tactic of misdirection. That Frank all too conspicuously adopts here. I think he’s been talking with Chakravorty again.
This whole thing, this supposed “investigation” , this presumptive “case” is nothing more than a Nxivm Knife of Aristotle inspired rhetorical exercise. A propaganda piece invented by Raniere loyalist Chakravorty in a desperate attempt to somehow rehabilitate the image of his racketeering sex-trafficking Vanguard.
That the Frank Report endorses this propaganda piece merely cheapens the reputation of the Frank Report.
The whole point of disclosing experiences and perspective is to alert the audience to any potential bias- so they may watch for it. Being aware and owning our own experiences allows for greater objectivity.
I totally agree with AS.
What Frank forgot to mention about Suneel’s résumé is that he is also an excellent dancer….in front of a prison where his cult leader is incarcerated. This tells you all you need to know about Suneel and his “unbiased investigation”.
“ Our goal is to put facts before the public in easy-to-comprehend language”.
Suneel’s goal is to free his master, regardless. He’s been attacking victims, agents etc. For one purpose and one purpose only: free his master.
I’m don’t know why Frank is playing this game, but I do know it’s gonna damage his legacy. It will not help his own case either. Investigating alleged FBI tampering while he himself is indicted is not a smart move if you’d ask me.
If there was some sympathy from law enforcement for Frank, because of his role in bringing down a sex-cult, he is doing his best to erase that.
………
“Yeah. After that I’m gonna accept what follows as an unbiased inquiry and analysis.”
Love it!!!
Whether true or exaggerated, the fbi took down a monster who was clearly guilty. I believe keith deserved at least 30 years minimum…but 120? I mean nancy was equally as guilty and only got 3? and Lauren and Michelle nothing? come on….that’s the real injustice.
The inequity is troubling. Agreed. But it shows the injustice of justice which is of concern.
Didn’t KR get 120 years because he has to serve consecutive sentences rather than concurrent? It’s not like he only committed one crime, he was convicted of several crimes. The man spent decades committing crimes, one of which was actual SLAVERY, so in my opinion the sentence was pretty fair!
Keith Raniere had a lenient judge, namely Judge Nicolas Garaufis. Garaufis could have sentenced Raniere to 240 years, which he did not do. So it’s already a very lenient sentence. It’s just too bad that Raniere turned down the prosecution’s offer for a plea bargain of 30 years. But considering what crimes were not charged that Raniere committed, 120 years total is still way too little.
Yeah, I agree. Judge Garaufis was lenient. He could have given him life.
Long article to lay out a few simple relevant facts:
2005, November: 8 Hale is Raniere’s primary residence
2005, November 2 and 24 – alleged dates 22 pictures of 15 yr old Camila (born: March 1990) taken
2012 – Pictures and whiteboard of Raniere at work, shows external hard drive on a shelf for anyone to access
2014: 8 Hale used as storage when Raniere moves to another home
March 27, 2018: 8 Hale raided, FBI seize external hard drive and camera from office last used in 2012 based on comparisons with pictures from then
To sum: “If the FBI’s narrative is true, Raniere left the hard drive right out there for them to come and find it in 2018.”
Implied question: Why would Raniere leave a hard drive out in the open that had child porn for potentially up to 12 years?
My answer:
1) Because he forgot about it. It can be that simple. I just got done cleaning up some drawers in my bedroom. Found a camcorder from around 2005, another camera that I think that was from the 1990s, an old external hard drive (120gb of space, amazing at the time), several handheld game consoles. Nothing was from after 2010. All sat in in several drawers in a room I use daily to this day.
2) Its good to be king. He wasn’t concerned anyone that would access that office would care or act on it even if they found the pictures.
Few other things of note:
– 22 photos might seen like few photos but in 2005 when storage was at a premium (and habits of from developing film), pictures were still carefully taken. The days of non-professionals just snapping off a few hundred photos to find a couple of gems was still a good 5+ years away.
– External backup for many people then and now is a do and forget thing. Its possible he backed up his data, including the pictures, in case of computer crash and gave no thought to what a fraction of that data was.
– Despite being out in the open, be surprised how few people know how to use an external hard drives despite how simple it is so “plain sight” in and of itself doesn’t mean anything if his acolytes do not access the home or have the knowledge to get noisy enough to check it
All valid points. Very valid. Except there is more evidence.
Most of your assumptions that are wrong will be addressed soon. But the fact remains he might have forgotten about it.
Frank – Wasn’t there a mix up at some point where Raniere assumed that he was dealing with the NDNY, instead of the EDNY? Also, didn’t Kristen Kffe mention his lack of knowledge of Emails still existing, when he assumed he had deleted them?
Raniere said there was a mixup about EDNY or WDNY. It may be true. I am not sure about the emails. But Raniere was very careless. He might have left the hard drive with the evidence that destroyed him out in plain sight for eight years.
Frank – I think it was in a phone call between Barbara Bouchey and Kristen Keefe where the Mexican plot was disclosed that the Emails were said to be still out there.
Oh right. That has yet to be proven but it does appear that Raniere and Emiliano did not realize that their incriminating drafts stayed online. There is also no doubt the FBI got a treasure trove of incriminating evidence from Raniere’s emails. I get into that later. Some of them point to underage sex with Camila.
Thanks for the synopsis. (I thought for a second you were going to out yourself and give up the goods on what you found on your old camcorder)
Great points well made