Frank Parlato
For months, the prosecutors for the Eastern District of NY had built their case against OneTaste executives Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz on the words of Ayries Blanck, a woman they painted as a victim in the case. Blanck, who the government referred to as “Victim #1”, was the government’s star witness.
Their forced labor conspiracy case hinged on her stories of mistreatment and manipulation as described in her journal.
For more than 18 months, federal prosecutors, led by AUSA Gillian Kassner, insisted that Blanck’s journals—purported firsthand accounts of abuse and coercion written in 2015—were authentic.
The government wrote in November 2024:
“The journals constitute the best evidence of [Blanck’s] then-existing psychological and emotional state.”
“[Blanck’s] ‘s journals also include excited utterances written while [Blanck’s] was still under the stress and excitement of her departure from OneTaste.”
In an extraordinary legal filing, which the prosecutors quickly put under seal, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of NY finally admitted that Ayries Blanck’s journals are fake.
The revelation came unceremoniously: Blanck had fabricated the journals. She had lied—again and again—to federal agents, to prosecutors, to the court itself. And the government, rather than uncovering the truth, had accepted her lies, repeated them, and used them to bring charges against two defendants.
The admission of this by Kassner and her associate AUSAs was not just a correction.
For months, the defense had claimed deception. Experts had combed through the journals, finding inconsistencies, impossible dates, and anachronisms that could not be explained.
For example, a book, the Post Traumatic Growth Guide, was quoted in Blank’s February 22, 2015 journal entry, when the book was not published until almost five years later.
When the defense raised these issues, the government dismissed them.
Until now.
Faced with undeniable proof that the journal was written for a Netflix documentary seven years after the 2015 date Blanck insisted was accurate; that FBI Special Agent Elliot McGinnis had received the journal on his email, not the FBI email; that Blanck sent an email in confidential mode to McgInnis, which self-deleted in 24 hours.
The government “was forced to correct the record”—to acknowledge Blanck had fabricated evidence and lied under oath.
Defense attorney Cohen writes in her motion, “The government finally admitted that Ayries Blanck fabricated her journals and that she repeatedly lied to the government about the journals’ authenticity.”
More damning, the prosecutors admitted they had relied on those lies to move forward with the prosecution.
What Happens Now?
The government’s March 12 filing raises more questions than answers.
They admit Blanck “committed federal crimes,” violating “18 U.S.C. § 1001″—lying to federal agents, fabricating evidence, and obstructing justice. But the filing does not mention prosecuting her. It does not say whether the government intends to drop the charges against the defendants, even though ASUA Kassner built much of the case on Blanck’s false testimony.
Instead, the government is “resisting” further motions from the defense, arguing that any attempt to challenge the case now is “untimely.”
The defense, in response, has made its position clear: “How can it be untimely to challenge a case built on admitted lies?”
The government planned to put “Blanck on the witness stand,” under oath, before a jury, presenting her words as truth. “Had the defense not exposed the fraud, the trial could have ended in wrongful convictions,” attorney Cohen wrote.
Judge Gujarati is giving prosecutor Kassner until Monday to show why the sealed government document admitting Blanck has lied and FBI Special Agent McGinnis, her likely accomplice, should not be made public.
Gujarati, a prosecutor for 21 years before becoming a judge in 2020, must now decide whether the prosecutors, admitting they fought for months for a fake document, can keep it from the public.
According to sources in Washington DC, the case is under a microscope, which may account for prosecutors’ sudden confession.
Frank report was the first to break this story that Ayries Blanck’s journal’s were fraudulent.
Judge to Prosecutors in OneTaste Case: “Are You Sure These Journals Are Real?”
Journal of Lies: How Ayries Blanck Deceived Netflix and the FBI
JOURNAL GATE! Handwritten Version Mirrors Netflix-Tuned Final Draft in Feds Prosecution of OneTaste
Cry, Lie, Repeat: Journal Gate #3 – Ayries’s ‘Fresh Pain’ Smells Like Reheated Evidence
The End of a Lie: Prosecutors Drop Ayries Blanck’s Journal in OneTaste Case
OneTaste Defendants Seek FBI-Netflix Connection; Purported ‘Victim’s’ Journal Is at Heart of Case
Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.
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Those defendants right now are probably thinking that their attorneys just hit a grand slam out of the ball park.
Nicole Daedone and Rachael Cherwitz are probably the how super high quality the legal work of their attorneys.
Just when you think that there’s no choice but to consider what is true and what is a lie….. then instead of segregating the facts from the lies …. then they (attorneys) will instead disregard the truth and lie about lies.
this is weird and makes no sense.
The prosecutors will probably introduce victim one at the end of March which their own defense attorneys probably already know about but will pretend to be clueless about it when it happens .
Which the defense will motion for a continue to delay for 6 months to rack up the legal fees.
That’s the true rot of the legal system…. their own defense attorneys are probably more of the enemy than the prosecutors are.
The prosecutors, the defense attorneys, and that judge are probably out at some hotel bar drinking right now and having a good time…. and they’re all probably conjuring up some way to casual plan to delay the case to milk the clients out for maximum legal profits.
i myself also try to find integrity in the legal system … don’t know why it’s so difficult to find.
Friends just sent me this. Shit. Ayries bad news. I knew her in Montana. She screwed over my friend Josh. She dangled sex and relationship and he moved to be with her in Boulder. She just wanted to have an errand boy and use his car. Never would have sex with him. He moved his whole life there, worked in a sushi restaurant. Til she upgraded to a guy with a better car. Josh and Ravi are both little Asian guys. Guess that’s her type. She can manipulate with sex. Fucking gross. Her whole family bad news.
Hey Barf – That story might help the victims of Ayries’ lies. I’d appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about it. If you ever want to talk, email me eli.block@onetaste.us
Lying for the dOJ is not like lying in the Bible. The DOJ lies all the time in the name of justice.
Not surprised with Aries. She’s a pathological liar. Who fabricates a journal after she’s already gotten paid and gotten away with it. Under oath. For Only $25k. Only the mentally ill. I’m dying to know who the other authors of the fabricated journal are. If Netflix was involved, that’s the real conspiracy story right there. A civil suit should be filed immediately on anyone the aided and abetted this fraud.
Congrats! Admission of “error” by any prosecution is unheard of.
Congratulations Frank, on superior journalism 👏
And the power of articulate, precise, probing journalism.
I don’t think it’s enough for the government to admit grandiose mistakes were made. Reputations and losses need repair. Accolades should be paid, the most important being that OneTaste achieved an unprecedented Company-Wide-Consent safely in sexuality studies, possibly a first in business setting new consent standards in professionalism as well as pop-culture and social discourse.
Thank you for keeping your finger on this case, steady & focused while the bored, unaware masses chased the silly Lively v. Balodoni case that’s just 75% drama (a red herring?) and 25% messy accusations? This is the case to be watching in 2025. Frank Report is a refreshing mix of legal analysis and satirical journalism– a news hybrid we need more of. Crunched for time, why not get your news and entertainment simultaneously? I hope it’s the future, hammering home points with the required magnitude and appropriate rabbit holes for nuance.
Thank you for seeing OM with such clarity.
-Jodi Felton
OMer since 2011
Finally the truth is acknowledged by the prosecution!!! Blanck should be held accountable and the case should be dropped!!
Blanck will never be held accountable. That would open up pandora’s box and the government won’t risk it.
Great work Frank but not for you keeping this story alive the govt may not have copped to their fraud and conspiracy w an FBI agent to frame innocent people
They would have tried the defendants using the fake journal.
Bravo, Frank. Sincerely, bravo.
I assume this is the turning point everyone has been waiting for….
Judge Gujarati is going to come to her senses about Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz and dismiss the complaint with prejudice.
And the Department of Justice coming to their senses and filing criminal charges against the real criminal Ayries Blanck and everyone is going to return back to normal and live happily ever after.
And Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz are going announce Free OneTaste classes for everyone!!!
Prosecutors know it’s a cult. They’ve got evidence beyond Blanck. She’s collateral damage of what this group does to needy people looking to be healed. They fucked her up even worse.
They don’t want to push this case. Too much at risk. No McGinnis. No Blanck. No case.
It’s only a matter of time. This will only get worse for the prosecution and McGinnis. Let Blanck take the fall, drop the charges based on fraud and move on. Right now the prosecutors look foolish for relying on fraudulent info but if they continue to push this case they can sabotage their own careers. Too much is known. Back out gracefully.