Keith Raniere

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Keith Allen Raniere
Raniere posing for a mugshot
Born
Keith Allen Raniere

(1960-08-26) August 26, 1960 (age 61)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Known forFounder of NXIVM
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Criminal statusIncarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Tucson
Release date: June 27, 2120
Children2
Conviction(s)June 19, 2019
Criminal charge
Penalty120 years in prison and a $1.75 million fine
Partner(s)
  • Toni Natalie (1992–1999)
  • Barbara Bouchey (2000–2009)
  • Kristin Keeffe (1990s–2014)

Keith Allen Raniere (born August 26, 1960)[1] is an American cult leader and convicted sex trafficker. He is the founder of NXIVM, a multi-level marketing company and sex cult based near Albany, New York.

Between 1998 and 2018, NXIVM developed a following primarily through its personal development seminars, recruiting several celebrities and socialites. The organization faced multiple accusations of systemic sexual abuse of female members by Raniere and members of his inner circle, leading to the arrests of Raniere and other NXIVM members in early 2018.[2][3]

On June 19, 2019, Raniere was convicted of federal crimes including sex trafficking of children, conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit forced labor, all related to a secret society within NXIVM known as DOS, or the Vow.[2][4][5][6][7] On October 27, 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison.[8][9][10]

Early life[]

Childhood and education[]

Keith Raniere was born on August 26, 1960, to James Raniere (1932–2020), a New York City advertising executive, and his wife Vera Oschypko (1931–1978), a ballroom dancing instructor.[11][12][13] Raniere's father recalls that Vera "drank more than she should have", and in adulthood, Keith himself privately described his mother as an alcoholic.[14] When Raniere was five, he and his family relocated from Brooklyn to Suffern, New York. When he was around eight years old, his parents separated.[15][better source needed]

Raniere attended Suffern High School for ninth grade before transferring to Rockland Country Day School in Congers. He graduated in June 1978, two months prior to his eighteenth birthday.[11][16][17] As an adult, Raniere reported that he read Isaac Asimov's mind control-themed work Second Foundation at age 12 and credited the novel with inspiring his work in NXIVM.[18][19]

Raniere's former partner, Barbara Bouchey, has shared stories about his childhood which she claimed to have been told by his father, James: "What we did is we told Keith about how gifted and how intelligent he was. And he said it was almost like a switch went off. And suddenly overnight he turned into like Jesus Christ. And that he was superior and better than everybody, like he was a deity. He said it was that dramatic and that profound. He said it went right to his head."[20]

Bouchey herself likewise recalled a story about a 13-year-old Raniere's relationships with girls: "[D]ozens of young girls were calling the house and [Raniere's mother] was overhearing his conversations with them where he was telling every single girl the same thing: 'I love you. You're the special one. You're important. You are the only one in my life and I love you.' And she says, he's saying this to all these girls. He's clearly lying 'cause all of them are not special!'"[20] In 1982, Raniere graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with a 2.26 GPA "having failed or barely passed many of the upper-level math and science classes he bragged about taking."[21]

Early adulthood[]

In 1984, according to reporting by the Albany Times Union, the then 24-year-old Raniere allegedly had a sexual relationship with 15-year-old Gina Melita after the two met in a theater group.[22] After ending their relationship, Melita introduced him to her friend Gina Hutchinson, also 15, with whom he also became sexually involved. After Gina's sister Heidi found Raniere climbing into her bedroom window and confronted the pair, Raniere told her that Gina was a "Buddhist goddess meant to be with him."[12][22]

Gina dropped out of school and continued her relationship with Raniere, working at Consumers' Buyline, his multi-level marketing company (MLM), for a time. On October 11, 2002, she was found dead of a gunshot wound to her head on the grounds of the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Buddhist monastery in Woodstock, an apparent suicide.[12][22][23]

In June 1988, the Times Union profiled Raniere, reporting on his membership in the Mega Society after he achieved a high score on founder Ronald K. Hoeflin's MEGA test, an unsupervised, 48-question test published in the April 1985 issue of Omni magazine.[24][25] Although the MEGA test has been widely criticized as not having been properly validated, the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records (the last to include a category for highest IQ[26]) described the Hoeflin Research Group as "the most exclusive ultrahigh IQ society", and the 1989 Australian edition identified Raniere, Marilyn vos Savant, and Eric Hart as the highest-scoring members of the group.[27][28][29][15]

Multi-level marketing career[]

Through the 1980s, Raniere was involved with the MLM company Amway.[15][12] Heidi Hutchinson recalled that during the late 1980s, Raniere was fascinated by Amway, Scientology, and neuro-linguistic programming.[30][12] He also worked as a computer programmer for New York State's Division of Parole.[22]

Consumers' Buyline Inc.[]

By 1990, Raniere founded his own multi-level marketing company, Consumers' Buyline Inc. (CBI).[14] It was at a CBI pitch meeting that Raniere met Toni Natalie,[31] who subsequently became a top seller for the organization along with her then-husband.[31] Natalie and her son later moved to Clifton Park, New York, to be near Raniere; her marriage ended shortly thereafter. Natalie and Raniere dated for the next eight years.[31]

CBI's operations were restricted in 1993 after the company was investigated by twenty states. That year, New York State filed a lawsuit alleging the organization was a pyramid scheme.[32] CBI was permanently shut down in September 1996 by the Attorney General of New York after being investigated by 25 states. Raniere signed a consent order permanently barring him from "promoting, offering or granting participation in a chain distribution scheme" and ordering him to pay a $40,000 fine.[33]

National Health Network[]

In 1994, Raniere created National Health Network, a multi-level seller of vitamins.[34][19] That business failed in 1999.[35] In the mid-1990s, Raniere and Natalie operated a health-products store.[32]

NXIVM: Executive Success Programs[]

Main article: NXIVM

In 1998, Toni Natalie met Nancy Salzman, a nurse and trained practitioner of hypnotism and neurolinguistic programming. Natalie recalled:

Nancy said, "You're so wonderful, how can I help you?" So I said, "Well, you can help me with my boyfriend." He had grandiose ideas and his hours were becoming erratic again ... She listened and she said "Oh that's easy, I can help you. He's a sociopath ..." They met and four days later she came out with the glazed eyes and gave me the, "You don't know who he is," and I was like, "Wow, there goes another one."[36]

NXIVM teachings drew upon diverse influences, including Ayn Rand ("parasites"), L. Ron Hubbard ("suppressives"), Milton Erickson's hypnosis, Isaac Asimov's science fiction, Rudolf Steiner, Tony Robbins, and neuro-linguistic programming. NXIVM incorporated elements of multilevel marketing and practices from judo, with colored cloth for rank and bowing.[37][38]

Also in 1998, Raniere met Christine Marie Melanakos, a recently divorced mother who had won the title of Mrs. Michigan 1995. She recalled that Raniere "explained how there was a profound event that would often happen to the women who became intimate with him, sometimes they would even see a blue light ... Ultimately I agreed to be intimate with Keith, and it was just as he said. I even saw a blue light, but I don't think I told him so. I remember thinking, 'Wow, my brain is really susceptible to the power of suggestion.'"[22]

Raniere and Salzman founded Executive Success Programs, a personal development company[12] offering a range of techniques aimed at self-improvement.[39][40][41] A few years later, the program was rebranded under the name NXIVM.[20] Raniere "adopted the title 'Vanguard' from a favorite arcade game in which the destruction of one's enemies increased one's own power."[42] Much of NXIVM was influenced by the teachings of Ayn Rand, one of Raniere's favorite authors.[12][41][43]

Raniere's eight-year relationship with Natalie ended in 1999. She later claimed to have been the victim of harassment.[20] In a January 2003 ruling, federal judge Robert Littlefield implied Raniere was using a legal suit to harass his former partner. Wrote Littlefield: "This matter smacks of a jilted fellow's attempt at revenge or retaliation against his former girlfriend, with many attempts at tripping her up along the way."[44][full citation needed][31]

In 2002, Raniere and Salzman succeeded in recruiting members of the influential Bronfman family, heirs to the multibillion-dollar Seagram's fortune.[45] Sara Bronfman initially became involved, followed by sister Clare Bronfman. Their father, Edgar Bronfman Sr., took a NXIVM course the following year.[46]

Disappearance of Kristin Snyder[]

Kristin Marie Snyder was a 35-year-old environmental consultant who, in November 2002, paid $7,000 to enroll in a sixteen-day personal development course conducted in Anchorage, Alaska, hosted by Salzman.[47][48] The following January, Snyder traveled to New York State to visit Raniere and other NXIVM leaders. Snyder's mother recalled that her daughter "had come to believe she was responsible for the Columbia shuttle disaster" and "thought Keith was incredible". Snyder, accompanied by her partner Heidi Clifford, signed up for a second sixteen-day course in Anchorage.

On February 6, 2003, the tenth day of the second seminar, Snyder reportedly began claiming to be pregnant with Raniere's child, a claim allegedly corroborated by Clare Bronfman.[49][better source needed][50] Clifford recalled: "I was told [by a NXIVM instructor] not to bring her to the hospital. That's what makes me feel really bad."[48] Snyder was last seen leaving this session of the course.[51] Her vehicle was discovered two days later in Seward, Alaska, 120 miles from Anchorage. Police recovered a note that read: "I attended a course called Executive Success Programs ... based out of Anchorage, AK, and Albany, NY. I was brainwashed and my emotional center of the brain was killed/turned off. I still have feeling in my external skin, but my internal organs are rotting ... I am sorry life, I didn't know I was already dead. May we persist into the future."[48] A separate page added: "No need to search for my body."[48]

A witness at Raniere's 2019 trial testified that after Snyder disappeared, Raniere paid $24,000 to obtain the password to her email account.[52]

2003 Forbes exposé[]

In 2003, billionaire Edgar Bronfman Sr. took a NXIVM course at the encouragement of his daughters Sara and Clare. Later that year, he denounced the group as a "cult" in a quote he gave to Forbes magazine.

In October 2003, Raniere was featured, cloaked in shadows, on the cover of Forbes magazine, accompanied by the appellation "The World's Strangest Executive Coach".[53] The "devastating" cover story, penned by Michael Freedman and entitled "Cult of Personality", has been described as "a gold mine of previously unpublished information".[14] The story discussed Raniere's title "Vanguard" and detailed his previous shuttered business, Consumers' Buyline, and included a quote from Edgar Bronfman accusing the organization of being a cult.[14]

Vanity Fair subsequently reported on the Forbes article's impact within the group: "People at NXIVM were stunned. Expecting a positive story, the top ranks had spoken to Forbes, including Raniere, Salzman, and Sara Bronfman. What upset them above all were Edgar Bronfman's remarks."[14] According to Vanity Fair, the article was a turning point in Raniere's relationship with Edgar Bronfman: "'That,' says one woman, 'was when Edgar Bronfman became NXIVM's enemy.'"[14] A witness at Raniere's trial later testified that Bronfman's computer was compromised and his emails monitored by group members for a period of years.[52]

Commodities trades[]

Barbara Bouchey spent $1.6 million covering losses of commodities trades which Raniere made in her name.[20] From January 2005 until late 2007, Raniere lost nearly $70 million in commodities trading.[14] Raniere suggested to Clare Bronfman that the losses were due to market manipulation by her father.[54] Beginning in August 2005, the Bronfman sisters covered the losses, ultimately using $150 million of their funds in support of Raniere and his organization.[14][15]

Collaborations with the Dalai Lama[]

The 14th Dalai Lama at a NXIVM event in 2009

Eager to distance themselves from "cult" allegations in the press, NXIVM members sought the endorsement of the Dalai Lama, spending $2 million on the project.[55][56]

Eight years later, it was revealed that, in 2009, Sara Bronfman had a sexual relationship with Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the Dalai Lama's gatekeeper who arranged the appearance; and who, as a monk, had taken a vow of celibacy.[57] Amid accusations of corruption, Dhonden was replaced.[58][59]

On May 6, 2009, the Dalai Lama traveled to Albany to give a talk; during the event, he presented Raniere with a white scarf onstage.[60] The Dalai Lama additionally wrote the foreword to the book The Sphinx and Thelxiepeia, which Raniere co-authored in 2009.[61][better source needed] The prior year, Raniere had co-authored his first book, Odin and The Sphinx.[61][better source needed]

Mass resignations and public allegations[]

In 2009, a group of Raniere's associates (called the "NXIVM Nine") broke with Raniere and his organization, citing "concerns about unethical practices and the alleged abuse of his leadership status to sexually manipulate women in the organization."[33] One of the dissenters, Barbara Bouchey, had been Raniere's partner for nine years.[62][63] In March 2010, Raniere learned that inner-circle member Daniela had kissed another man. According to 2019 trial testimony, upon hearing the news, Raniere locked himself in a bathroom. Thereafter, he ordered that Daniela be confined to a room with only a mattress and video cameras, where she was held for almost two years.[64][65]

External video
video icon 2009 discussion between Barbara Bouchey and Keith Raniere:

Partial transcript

KR: You don't have the experience of leadership. You don't have the experience of preserving people's lives with what you say. And the truth of the matter is –

BB: Well, in a way neither do you –

KR: Yes I do.

BB: No you don't, because the only company before this was Consumers Buyline and that in my understanding fell apart within a few years ... or was on the downhill after a couple years when you got sued or whatever it was.

KR: That's not ... Well .. Here's the thing ... I've been shot at because of my beliefs ... I have had to make choices: should I have body guards? should I have them armed or not? I've had people killed ... because of my beliefs and their beliefs.

In November 2010, Vanity Fair published an article titled "The Heiresses and the Cult" in which Raniere's former partner Toni Natalie recalled that Raniere "had insisted she keep the body of her dead puppy in her garage freezer and look at it daily."[14] That same month, The New York Post reported on the existence of a video in which Raniere is heard telling two followers: "I've had people killed because of my beliefs – or because of their beliefs."[66][67] In a 2010 Albany Times Union article, NXIVM former coaches characterized students as "prey" for Raniere to satisfy either his gambling or sexual proclivities.[68]

In 2011, Toni Natalie filed documents in federal court alleging that she had been repeatedly raped by Raniere.[31]

Departure of Kristin Keeffe[]

Kristin Keeffe was a longtime partner of Raniere and mother of his son Gaelyn.[69] The child, born in 2007, had earlier been reported to be an orphan adopted by Raniere and Keeffe, rather than their biological child.[70] In 2010, it was reported that Raniere had ordered that the child be kept away from peers and that he was being cared for by nannies speaking five different languages.[14]

In February 2014, Keeffe broke with Raniere and his group. After she fled the region with her son, an email bearing her name explained: "I have full sole legal custody of Gaelyn. Keith was experimenting on him. I had to get Gaelyn away."[71] Keeffe publicly described Raniere as "dangerous".[71]

In 2015, it was reported that Keeffe had alleged that Raniere directed Canadian investigative firm Canaprobe to obtain financial information on six federal judges and a US senator from the State of New York as well as a reporter, an editor, and the publisher of the Times Union.[69] That same year, Keeffe further alleged that Raniere had planned to lure his critics to Mexico with an invitation to an anti-cult conference; once in Mexico, the critics were to be arrested on false charges by order of a judge who had been bribed.[72][20][54]

Patent infringement litigation[]

In 2015, Raniere personally sued AT&T and Microsoft, alleging they had infringed on his patents. The following year, the case was dismissed with prejudice. The trial court ruled that Raniere's "conduct throughout this litigation, culminating in his untruthful testimony at the hearing on the motion to dismiss, demonstrates a pattern of obfuscation and bad faith."[73] Raniere was sanctioned and ordered to pay $450,000 in attorneys fees.[74]

Sexual relationship with minors[]

At Raniere's trial, court testimony, WhatsApp messages, and sexually explicit photos of a minor presented by the prosecution as evidence suggest starting from 2005, Raniere was sexually involved with a 15-year-old girl named Camila.[75][76][77][78][79] Camila confirmed the allegations in her victim impact statement at Raniere's sentencing, stating that she met Raniere when she was 13-year-old and began a sexual relationship with him two years later. The ongoing relationship with Raniere has caused her lasting physical and emotional scars, including battling an eating disorder ever since Raniere directed her to maintain a low weight; and gave her the sexually transmitted disease HPV.[80][81][82][83] Camila was also asked to join DOS, the secret subgroup Raniere created in NXIVM.[84] Camila's entire family were members of NXIVM. She finally left NXIVM in 2017 with the help of her sister Daniela and blames Raniere for tearing her family apart.[85][86]

Raniere had sexual relationships with both Camila's sisters. All three sisters got pregnant at different times and had abortions at the suggestion of Raniere.[87][88][89][82] Her sister Daniela testified at the trial that she was groomed by Raniere while she was still underage. He began a sexual relationship with her days after her 18th birthday. When Daniela told Raniere she was interested in another man, he assigned Lauren Salzman (the daughter of NXIVM president Nancy Salzman) to help her "learn from her mistakes" in solitary confinement. Daniela was kept in a room in her family home for two years, with only a mattress on the floor, a pen, and paper. Even though Daniela was in the same house as her family, the only person she had contact with was Salzman. In 2012, Daniela agreed to return to her home country and was left at the border with little money and no personal documents. She slowly rebuilt her life and got a copy of her birth certificate with the help of an attorney at a human rights commission. After years of estrangement, Daniela reconnected with some of her family members when they left NXIVM. At Raniere's trial, Daniela said: "as I built a world, it was only after that I was able to look back at the world I was in and realized the monstrosity that it had been."[90][91][92][93][80]

In a 2012 Times Union exposé, an unnamed woman said she had a sexual relationship with Raniere when she was 12 and 13 years old. She met Raniere in 1990 when her mother worked for Raniere's multi-level marketing company Consumers' Buyline Inc. Raniere offered to tutor her in Latin and algebra and soon began a sexual relationship with her. The sexual relationship took a psychological toll on her. She started skipping school and running away from home and eventually received counseling for victims of sex abuse. She filed a State Police report against Raniere in 1993. The woman spent 20 years working to feel comfortable in relationships and told the Times Union: "[Raniere] took my innocence. I can never get that back."[22][94][95][96][97]

At Raniere's trial, prosecutors introduced evidence of Raniere discussing his views on sexual assault and child sexual abuse.[98][99][100][101][102]

DOS: allegations of sex slavery and branding[]

In 2015, Raniere created a secret subgroup within NXIVM, "Dominus Obsequious Sororium" (DOS).[10] DOS operated with levels of "slaves" headed by "masters". Slaves were expected to recruit slaves of their own, becoming masters themselves. Slaves owed service not only to their own masters but also to masters above them in the DOS pyramid.[103] An estimated 150 women joined DOS.[41][104] Raniere was the only male in DOS and sat at the top of the pyramid as the "grandmaster".[105][106][107][108]

Prosecution exhibit depicting Raniere's 'first-line slaves'

DOS first members and Raniere's inner circle include Allison Mack, Nicki Clyne, and Lauren Salzman, all of whom are also his sexual partners.[109][110] Raniere maintained command and control over DOS members by collecting "collateral" from them and relied on his inner circle members to carry out his orders and build the DOS pyramid group.[7][111] DOS masters recruited women by telling them that they were joining a women-only organization that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses that the NXIVM curriculum taught were common in women.[103][112] Raniere's status as the leader of DOS was concealed from new members. Before joining DOS, women were required to provide collateral, which included highly damaging personal information, sexually explicit photos or videos, and rights to personal assets.[113][114][115][116] Slaves were told that their collateral will be released if they leave DOS or tell anyone about DOS's existence.[103]

DOS masters directly or implicitly required their slaves to engage in sexual activity with Raniere.[117][118][119][120] Raniere prefers "exceptionally thin" women DOS members were forced to adhere to extremely restrictive diets and document every food they ate.[121][122][123] The extreme diet caused women to stop menstruating and their hair to fall out.[124][104] DOS slaves were severely sleep-deprived, were forced to participate in "readiness drills", and subjected to corporal punishment.[125][126][127][128] Slaves were required to provide service for their masters, from running errands to cleaning their homes.[129][130]

Prosecution exhibit: a photo of the DOS brand

Some women were branded in their pelvic areas using a cauterizing pen with Raniere's initials.[131][132] The branding was performed by NXIVM member Dr Danielle Roberts at Allison Mack's home.[133][134] The DOS branding ritual followed a script created by Raniere.[135][136] Slaves were required to be fully naked, with the ceremonies filmed and used as more collateral on the DOS slaves.[137][136] Only Raniere's inner circle members knew the brand was his initials.[138] DOS slaves were told the brand was a "symbol of the elements" and were unaware that it was Raniere's initials.[117][139][140] At Raniere's trial, prosecutors introduced a 2016 recording of a private meeting with DOS inner circle members in which Raniere stated: "the monogram as it is right now is very directly related to my initials." The group discussed how to obscure the connection to Raniere's initials from DOS members.[141][135][142]

At Raniere's trial, a DOS slave testified that when she finally confronted Raniere, he told her that DOS was "a walk in the park", saying, "You guys think you have it so bad. But this is nothing compared to other alternative subculture groups."[143][144] In an email to an inner circle member Raniere said: "I believe [DOS] is good - not just good and even noble, but great - and vitally important for women and humanity."[145][146]

On June 5, 2017, Frank Parlato was the first to report that there was a secret sorority called DOS and the women known as "slaves" were branded with Raniere's initials, using a hot cauterizing pen.[147] On October 18, 2017, The New York Times published a story about the slaves and branding and reported that the slaves were required to provide nude photos or other potentially damaging information about themselves if they wished to join.[148][149]

Arrest, trial and conviction[]

The indictment of Raniere and other NXIVM members

In the wake of The New York Times article, Raniere fled to Mexico, accompanied by a few members of his inner circle.[150][141] A search warrant was issued for Raniere's email account on January 18, 2018. An agent of the FBI filed a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant against Raniere with the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York on February 14, 2018.[151]

Raniere was arrested by Mexican Federal Police authorities in a luxury villa outside Puerto Vallarta in March 2018.[152][153][154] Lauren Salzman later recalled that the arrest interfered with a planned group sex session; when police arrived, she and Raniere barricaded themselves in the master suite, with Raniere attempting to hide in a walk-in closet.[155] Raniere was then transferred to custody in New York at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn after appearing in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas.[156][157]

Raniere was indicted on a variety of charges related to DOS, including sex trafficking, conspiracy for sex trafficking, and conspiracy to commit forced labor.[2][4] The indictment alleged that at least one woman was coerced into sex with Raniere, who forced DOS members to undergo the branding ritual alleged by former DOS member Sarah Edmondson and others.[158][159] United States Attorney Richard Donoghue stated that Raniere "created a secret society of women with whom he had sex and had branded with his initials, coercing them with the threat of releasing their highly personal information and taking their assets."[39]

Raniere's federal trial began on May 7, 2019.[5] Prosecution witnesses included Lauren Salzman; film-maker Mark Vicente; victims "Sylvia", "Daniela", "Jay", and "Nicole"; and cult educator Rick Alan Ross. The defense rested without calling any witnesses. On June 19, 2019, the jury found Raniere guilty on all charges after five hours of deliberation.[160][7]

Raniere was found guilty of:

  • Sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography with regard to minor victim "Camila";
  • Sex trafficking of "Nicole"; attempted sex trafficking of "Jay";
  • Identity theft against Edgar Bronfman, James Loperfido, Ashana Chenoa, "Marianna", and Pam Cafritz;
  • Trafficking for labor and services of "Daniela"; forced labor of "Nicole";
  • Conspiracy to alter records for use in an official proceeding; and
  • Sex trafficking conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors had asked for life imprisonment, citing the severity of Raniere's crimes and his lack of remorse, reflected in communications with supporters in which he denigrated his victims. And would continue to commit crimes if released. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Raniere "concealed his abuse behind the smoke screen of his supposed 'personal growth' programs — a charade he continues to this day."[145][146][161] On October 27, 2020, federal judge Nicholas Garaufis sentenced Raniere to 120 years in prison and fined him $1.75 million.[9][10] Raniere began serving his 120-year sentence at United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, a medium-security penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. On January 22, 2021, Raniere was transferred to a maximum-security prison, United States Penitentiary, Tucson, in Tucson, Arizona. His earliest possible release date is June 27, 2120, when he would be 160 years old.[162]

Homicide speculation[]

A number of Raniere's alleged lovers suffered untimely deaths. Gina Hutchinson was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Kristin Snyder disappeared and was last seen at a NXIVM event.[163] Live-in girlfriends Barbara Jeske and Pam Cafritz both died from what was diagnosed as cancer at the time but is alleged to have actually been subtle poisoning.[164] Raniere's partner Kristin Keeffe survived cervical cancer. In 2009, Raniere was filmed claiming, "I've had people killed because of my beliefs."[163]

In 2019, Investigation Discovery aired a documentary titled "The Lost Women of NXIVM", speculating that Raniere committed homicide. According to that program, a woman who lived with Raniere and developed bladder cancer submitted a hair sample that reportedly revealed the evidence of dangerous levels of bismuth and barium.[163][164]

Civil lawsuit[]

In January 2020, Raniere and several other NXIVM individuals were named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court by 80 former NXIVM members. The lawsuit details allegations of fraud and abuse and charges the NXIVM organisation with being a pyramid scheme, exploitation of its recruits, conducting illegal human experiments, and making it "physically and psychologically difficult, and in some cases impossible, to leave the coercive community."[165][166][167]

In the media[]

References[]

  1. ^ Barcella, Laura (March 28, 2018). "NXIVM: What We Know About Alleged Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Leader of NY Group Branded Women, Made Them Sex Slaves: Feds". WNBC. March 26, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Founder Of "Nxivm," a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Five Others Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering Conspiracy". Department of Justice. July 24, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Siemaszko, Corky (May 4, 2018). "Self-help guru denies enslaving, branding women in Nxivm sex cult". NBC News. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "NXIVM Trial: Prosecution's opening statements lasted 90 minutes". WTEN. May 7, 2019.
  6. ^ Moynihan, Colin (June 19, 2019). "Nxivm Trial: Leader Convicted After Trial Exposed Sex Cult's Sordid Inner Workings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "Jury Finds Nxivm Leader Keith Raniere Guilty of All Counts". Department of Justice. June 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Gavin, Robert (June 19, 2019). "NXIVM founder Raniere guilty on all counts". Times Union. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Hong, Nicole; Piccoli, Sean (October 27, 2020). "Keith Raniere, Leader of Nxivm Sex Cult, Is Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses". Department of Justice. October 27, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
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  12. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Josh; Goldhar, Kathleen; Elash, Anita; Pizer, Dave (September 12, 2018). "Escaping NXIVM: Inside the secretive world of leader Keith Raniere". newsinteractives.cbc.ca.
  13. ^ Tkacik, Maureen (August 10, 2010). "Poor Little Rich Girls: The Ballad of Sara and Clare Bronfman". The New York Observer.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Andrews, Suzanna (October 13, 2010). "The Heiresses and the Cult". Vanity Fair.
  15. ^ a b c d Parlato, Frank (July 13, 2018). "Univision's timeline of Keith Raniere's life". FrankReport.com.
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  17. ^ "Keith graduates" (PDF). frankreport.com. June 28, 1978. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "Raniere Affidavit Ross Case". February 16, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2019 – via Internet Archive.
  19. ^ a b Yakowicz, Will. "When We Exposed Keith Raniere, The Leader Of The Nxivm 'Sex Cult'". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
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