article in The New York Times, details began to emerge about "Dominus Obsequious Sororium", a secret society of women that started in 2015 within NXIVM in which female members were allegedly called slaves, branded with the initials of Raniere and Mack, subjected to corporal punishment from their "masters", and required to provide nude photos or other potentially damaging information about themselves as "collateral". Hunter Biden a avut un rol esenial n finanarea i asistarea unei companii responsabile de laboratoarele biologice din Ucraina. Marc Elliot, an author, claims taking courses through NXIVM and working with Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman have helped him overcome his Tourette syndrome. Item(s) 0. NXIVM is an American company based near Albany, New York. [13][14][15][16] In 2017, former members Sarah Edmondson, Bonnie Piesse and Mark Vicente, as well as Catherine Oxenberg (mother of member India Oxenberg) spoke to The New York Times and revealed grave concerns about Keith Raniere and NXIVM, including the existence of a secret society called "DOS" in which women were branded, made to record false confessions and provide nude photographs for blackmail. Originally from its inception, the group was designed to help empower people, grow them spiritually as well as professionally. Co-founder's daughter testifies in plea deal for NXIVM wrongdoings", "NXIVM President Nancy Salzman Sentenced to 42 Months' Imprisonment for Racketeering Conspiracy", "Guilty plea ends Salzman's long allegiance to Raniere", "Nxivm member was branded at Allison Mack's home", "Legal papers: NXIVM officials probed finances of 6 federal judges, Senator Schumer, others", "The Alleged Plot to Put NXIVM's Critics in a Mexican Prison", "Records: NXIVM hacked billionaire's emails with Hillary Clinton, world leaders", "Transcript: Uncover: Escaping NXIVM Season 1, EP 3", "Rochester woman tells all about life with NXIVM's Keith Raniere, her ex", "Transcript: Uncover: Escaping NXIVM Season 1, EP 4", "Catherine Oxenberg Reveals How She Lost Her Daughter to the Sex Cult NXIVM", "Allison Mack reportedly forced NXIVM sex cult members to follow 500-calorie-a-day diets", "Catherine Oxenberg's Daughter Was 'Branded' with 'Cult' Leader's Initials: 'I Was Horrified', "Catherine Oxenberg Says Her Daughter Who Has Left Nxivm Is 'Moving Forward', "Tomorrow: @GMA Exclusive: India Oxenberg, daughter of TV star Catherine Oxenberg, speaks out alongside her mother about being caught up in NXIVM and what prosecutors have called a 'sex cult. [158], Bronfman initially served her sentence in Federal Detention Center, Philadelphia. A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the convictions and sentences for NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere and his co-conspirator Clare Bronfman. [121][122][123], Sentencing documents for Allison Mack state that she entered proffer sessions on April 2, 2019. [150][151], While incarcerated, Raniere has maintained his leadership role over NXIVM, regularly communicating with his followers by phone and through TRULINCS email. "[69], The World Ethical Foundations Consortium, an organization co-founded by Raniere and the Bronfman sisters, sponsored a visit to Albany by the Dalai Lama in 2009. A former NXIVM member, Damon Brink, started a website, and I may have been the motivation. The first details many people learned about NXIVM, the cultlike organization based for decades near Albany, New York, were the most sordid. Subtotal: SRD 0.00. pizzeria la lanterna, crevalcore men . The group's. But after Bronfman's father learned how much his daughter was spending on Raniere's legal pursuits, he called the organization out as a cult in a 2003 Forbes profile of Raniere. McLaughlin, Kelly and Nichole Einbinder. A mandala tattoo now covers the brand forced on her. TV-Star Allison Mack was a 'slave master' at this cult. After leaving NXIVM in early 2017, she publicly denounced the organization, claiming that she was invited into DOS, a substructure within NXIVM operated by Keith Raniere and Allison Mack, and was branded with a combination of Raniere's and Mack's initials at Mack's Albany home. Brandon Porter, a medical doctor, conducted unlicensed human-subjects research on 200 people for NXIVM. and video recording.[213][233]. [170] Joseph Tully, the attorney representing Elliot, also represents Raniere in his appeals. It touts itself as a "professional coaching company" and its website says it offers "Executive Success Programs," or "ESP," in New York, California, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. Edmondson alleged that participants were blindfolded naked, held down by Mack and three other women, and branded by NXIVM-affiliated doctor Danielle Roberts, using a cauterizing pen. In Federal District Court, Ms. Mack sobbed as she admitted that she had lured women into D.O.S. In 2019, Salzman pled guilty to one NXIVM-related federal crime. 02. There is no greater privilege than to materialize myself. These women were taught to revere him and were ordered to maintain near-starvation diets to achieve the physique he found desirable. Judge Nicholas Garaufis sentenced Raniere to 120 years imprisonment. Some have written books and others giving confessionals on podcasts, media appearances, and documentary-style exposes. I now have a trusted circle of friends who know what it is to stand in the fire with me. The U.S. Attorney's Office argued in its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act prosecution that NXIVM and its subsidiaries existed to promote, enhance and protect Raniere and members of the enterprise. [167] On December 9, 2022, the federal appeals court upheld the convictions and sentences for Keith Raniere and Clare Bronfman. In a 2003 mission statement on the NXIVM website: NXIVM embodies a set of consistent and universal principles in which all humans can participate. "[199], At Raniere's trial, testimony revealed that Raniere had convinced several girls and women that sex with him could heal their purported "disintegrations," and that his semen had supernatural qualities. [286] In May 2017, India admitted to her mother that she was among those who had been branded. [293] Following Keith Raniere's sentencing in 2020, the editorial board of the New York Daily News praised Odato's work exposing NXIVM for its prescience, taking the unusual step of commending the work published by a competitor. Several former members reported financial and sexual predation by NXIVM leaders. 425.16", "NXIVM leader Raniere suing Arizona federal prison", "DEFENDANTS' RESPONSE TO MOTION FOR PRELIMARY INJUNCTION", "Order on Motion for Summary Judgment and Order on Motion to Dismiss", "Keith Raniere's case appears to be the product of manufactured evidence, according to FBI experts", "The Court of Appeals overlooks damning evidence of FBI corruption in the Keith Raniere case", "NXIVM founder Keith Raniere claims the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is trying to "silence" him for going public with his evidence tampering claim against the FBI in his 2019 conviction", "Impending Transfer from USP Tucson "clear retaliation" for continued legal efforts to clear my name, says Keith Raniere - The Village Voice", "Businesses Licensed Or In-Process By The City of Irvine", "A Cult Expert Tells Us Why the NXIVM Story Is Far from Over", "IJCAM - Introduction - Comparative Reflections on Scientology and NXIVM", "Janja Lalich: how normal people end up in cults like NXIVM", "NXIVM turned Lake George resort into annual Raniere birthday jamboree", "United States v. Keith Raniere - Detention Memo", "Blast from the past: Complete text from 1988 Times Union article about Raniere and his take-home IQ test", "Univision's timeline of Keith Raniere's life", "NXIVM: Keith Raniere said swallowing his semen made women see blue lights | The Underground Bunker", "When We Exposed Keith Raniere, The Leader Of The Nxivm 'Sex Cult', "Did Asimov inspire Raniere to be 'the mule'? [272], Kristin Keeffe became Raniere's partner in the early 1990s. [214], NXIVM conducted "Intensives," classes conducted for 12 hours daily for 16 days. Vicente is also one of the key voices in "The Vow" docuseries. Seduced follows India Oxenberg's abuse and her own culpability inside the NXIVM cult, an organization marketed as a self-help group. A small number of NXIVM members continue to support Raniere and protest his innocence. Edmondson regularly sees a therapist to work through the trauma she endured during her time with the cult. The story of the NXIVM cult, founded by the now-imprisoned "guru" Keith Raniere, has remained headline news ever since details of his abusive sex ring emerged.The network lay at the heart of the shadowy organization, in which major Hollywood celebrities were involved in the trafficking of women at Raniere's behest. The NXIVM Files These are the essays the NXIVM cult (aka ESP, or Executive Success Program) is suing Rick Ross over, trying to have their publication suppressed. [106][107] On May 4, Raniere pleaded not guilty. The Federal Bureau of Prisons first transferred him temporarily to United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, a medium-security penitentiary, followed by a transfer to his permanent prison at United States Penitentiary, Tucson. I am so grateful to my Mother, who is still with me. I am beyond fortunate to have my magnificent warrior of a Wife. On Wednesday, Allison Mack, an actress who pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges for her role in Nxivm, was sentenced to three years in prison. [175] The Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons and authorities at USP Tucson moved to deny the injunction, on grounds that Chakravorty is not a paralegal but merely "an ardent former ESP and NXIVM coach with whom [Raniere] is banned from associating. "[228], The purported treatment for Tourette syndrome was noted by one reporter as not having been tested in a scientific peer-reviewed setting. "[231], Another purported study Porter conducted within the NXIVM community was described as watching disturbing footage, including video of people being murdered, while their brainwaves, physiological activity, facial and auditory responses and was recorded through electroencephalography, galvanic skin response. Nxivm was formed by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman in the 1990s and billed itself as a self-help multi-level marketing company. In the early 2000s, Forbes, and other media outlets started covering the group NXIVM, a massive marketing enterprise based in Clifton Park, New York with chapters across the country, Canada and Mexico. [159], Oral arguments on both Raniere and Bronfman's appeals were heard before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on May 3, 2022. In Federal District Court in Brooklyn, Ms. Salzman admitted that she had planned invasions of privacy involving email accounts and the altering of recordings edited to remove sections we did not want to turn over to opponents in a lawsuit. ", "The Only (Alleged) Sex-Slave Cult Story You Need to Understand: Kirsten Gillibrand's Weakness as a 2020 Candidate", "Associate pleads guilty in 'sex cult' case", "How a Strange, Secretive, Cult-like Company Is Waging Legal War Against Journalists", "Bronfman, Russell plead guilty in NXIVM case", "Members of alleged sex cult NXIVM appear in federal court", "Heiress among four arrested in 'sex cult', "Nxivm 'Sex Cult' Was Also a Huge Pyramid Scheme, Lawsuit Says", "Elon Musk's Crusade for Media Accountability Lasted Three Whole Days Before He Recommended a News Site Affiliated With a Suspected Sex Cult", "Elon Musk's Idea of 'Excellent' Journalism Comes From an Alleged Sex Cult", "The Knife of Aristotle Isn't Just a Fake 'Fake News' Site It's a Cult", "Elon Musk Bashed Media With Article From The Cult Accused Of Sex Trafficking", "Sex & Propaganda: How An Alleged Cult Tried To Play The Media Against Itself", "Part 1 The Slave Women of DOS Revealed", "The Founder of "Nxivm', a Purported Self-Help Organization Based in Albany, N.Y., Arrested for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Conspiracy", "Former NXIVM member says she was invited into a secret sorority, then branded", "NXIVM: What We Know About Alleged Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor", "Vancouver woman says scars from ritual 'branding' fuel her fight against 'cultish' group", "Quines son los mexicanos involucrados con la secta NXIVM? Piesse is also featured in "The Vow," and continues to pursue music. Found guilty at jury trial of all charges including: Pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, Pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal and harbor an undocumented immigrant for financial gain, and fraudulent use of identification, Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, Act 1: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, Conspiracy to Unlawfully Possess an Identification Document, Act 2, 3: Sexual Exploitation of a Child (separate acts against the same victim), Act 5: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft; Identity Theft (two separate victims), Act 6: Conspiracy to Alter Records for Use in an Official Proceeding, Act 7: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, Act 8: Trafficking for Labor and Services; Document Servitude, Act 11: Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft, $1.75 million in fines due to the United States Government, Monetary restitution from Raniere of $3.46 million to twenty-one victims, "All lower-ranking members of DOS are victims of the wire fraud conspiracy in which the Defendant participated. At the time, she was told the brand, which was done without anesthetic, symbolized elements in nature. [200] Raniere instructed one sexual partner to seek out a virgin because he needed a "pure vessel" for reasons "energy-related and DNA-wise."[201]. "[173], A November 30, 2022 filing by attorneys for Lions Gate Entertainment states that "the Parties have settled the above-captioned action in all respects. They supposedly enlist other young actresses and the cycle continues. A complaint from a 2020 lawsuit by former members of NXIVM recapitulated several fantastical claims made in marketing materials about Raniere. He started NXIVM in the 1990s in Albany, New York as a purported self-improvement group that then expanded across the country. Jurors deliberated less than half a day before finding Mr. Raniere guilty of all seven counts, including racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, identity theft, sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. Natalie would subsequently claim to have been the victim of harassment. Bronfman may only appeal the sentence, as she has forfeited the right to appeal her conviction as part of her plea. Another module, "Dracula and his ghouls", reportedly discussed psychopaths and their followers. By 2017, several former members had asked New York State authorities to investigate Nxivm. Rick Alan Ross is the executive director of the Ross Institute, which specializes in studying cults. Bronfman was also charged with ID fraud after pleading guilty for using the credit card and bank information of someone who had been dead for 15 months, racking up $135,000 in bills. NXIVM, pronounced NEKS-ee-m, was a multi-level marketing company- which is just what people call their pyramid schemes.However, many have also classified this pyramid scheme as a cult. [254] On June 30, 2021, Mack was sentenced to three years in prison. Tighe's home was raided by the New York State Police, and his computer was seized. [195][196][197][198], The 2003 Forbes expos of NXIVM and Raniere showed that Raniere continued to make the claim of being the world's most intelligent man, with the addition of being "the most ethical. Much of the footage in "The Vow" comes from Vicente's filming, since he took the clips with him when he left the cult. Celebratory in the sense that I am here, I am alive. [281] Natalie and her then-husband became top sellers for the organization. Since then, an. Based on statements of support, it was estimated that about 50 to 60 persons remain loyal to Raniere. [128] On June 19, 2019, the jury convicted him of all counts.[30]. Nancy Salzman was scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2019. Nxivm, pronounced "nexium", is a group that started in 1998 as a self-help programme and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people including the son of a former Mexican president and. The downfall of NXIVM (pronounced Nex-ee-um) began in October 2017, when the Times published an expos in which former members claimed that they had been blackmailed, branded and nearly starved. Full of feelings, fire, piss and vinegar, longing, joy, laughter, humor and gratitude. [Read our coverage of Keith Ranieres sentencing.]. [292], James Odato is an investigative reporter who wrote for the Albany Times Union. One of these was The Knife Media, or The Knife. [57][58][59] Ross posted a psychiatrist's assessment of NXIVM's "secret" manual on his website that called the regimen "expensive brainwashing". At his trial in May 2019, jurors heard a seemingly endless slew of. Edmondson, 43, and her family husband Anthony "Nippy" Ames and their two young sons, Troy and Ace haven't been immune to the stress of the past year. [246] Cafritz was a founder of JNESS, a Raniere-affiliated women's group. For her role in NXIVM, Mack was sentenced to three years behind bars, issued a $20,000 fine and 1,000 hours of community service. This documentary series from Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer ( The Square, Control Room, The Vow) follows members who joined the self-improvement group NXIVM - whose leader was convicted of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and other crimes - to reveal the emotional toll of unfolding events on these Son of Former Mexican President Allegedly Top Member of Sex Cult NXIVM", "NXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Offenses", "Raniere loses battle to keep NXIVM 'tech', "How NXIVM Rippled Through Vancouver Actors' Friend Networks", "Inside Nxivm, the 'Sex Cult' That Preached Empowerment", "How NXIVM Seduced Hollywood Stars and America's Most Powerful Elite Into a Barbaric 'Sex Cult', "Why So Many Celebrities Joined NXIVM, According to Cult Experts", "A Critical Analysis of the Executive Success Programs Inc", "Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded", "Seagram's heiress arrested for role in controversial 'sex cult', "How NXIVM Was the Ultimate Wellness Scam", "Founder Of "Nxivm," a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Five Others Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering Conspiracy", "NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman pleads guilty in case of alleged cult", "Nxivm: Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman pleads guilty in 'sex cult' case", "Woman implicated in NXIVM sex slave case pleads guilty", "Allison Mack of 'Smallville' Pleads Guilty in Case of Nxivm 'Sex Cult' Where Women Were Branded", "Nxivm accountant spelled out dirty messages with colorful fridge magnets", "The Most Disturbing Details From the NXIVM Sex-Cult Case", "Leader of NY Group Branded Women, Made Them Sex Slaves: Feds", "Nxivm Trial: Leader Convicted After Trial Exposed Sex Cult's Sordid Inner Workings", "He told women he could help. A former nurse, Salzman worked with Keith Raniere in the development of the organization beginning in the 1990s. The purported study is similar to a patent Raniere filed, "Determination of whether a luciferian can be rehabilitated": One example of a test to determine whether a person is a Luciferian comprises a video clip of an ice skater performing in a competition. In October 2013, Odato was named in a lawsuit filed by NXIVM, along with Suzanna Andrews of Vanity Fair and blogger John J. Tighe; all had written critically of the group. Vicente testified against Raniere at his 2019 trial. HBO's docuseries "The Vow," which wrapped up its first season on Sunday, followed former members of the alleged sex cult NXIVM as they tried to take the organization down founder and leader Keith Raniere's manipulation and sexual abuse. Here is a timeline of some of the events that led to Nxivms downfall. I find myself immersed in an explosion of art and creativity like never before. Anyone can read what you share. Bronfman joinedNXIVM, an alleged sex cult billed as a multi-level marketing company for self-improvement courses, in 2003 and rose to the top of its ranks as anexecutive board member 15 years later. Here's where she is today. [147][148], In summer 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing in-person visitation to the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, Raniere's remaining followers including actress Nicki Clyne began assembling to dance near the jail. In NXIVM Corp. v. Ross Institute, NXIVM sued to try to block further publications. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider [215][216] Classes were divided into modules. Former NXIVM member turned prosecution witness Mark Vicente dismissed the group as a "cover movement" for support of Raniere. 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. Nine of Nxivms victims spoke at the sentencing hearing for Ms. Bronfman in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, where Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis gave her a sentence that was longer than prosecutors had requested. [234][235] In August 2019, the New York State Department of Health suspended Porter's license to practice medicine in the state, finding that he conducted studies without an appropriate human research review committee. Skip to main content Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. [18][19][20][21] All defendants except for Raniere pled guilty. Prosecutors dropped charges of sex trafficking, and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and forced labor. [113] Bronfman was arrested on July 24 and charged with racketeering. ", "Former Sex Cult Official Describes Its 'Evil' Inner Workings", "Witness: Raniere bragged of wanting to 'break' follower Allison Mack", "How NXIVM Used a Simple Tool to Build Its 'Sex Cult', "NXIVM Trial Opens: Feds Say Founder Keith Raniere Was 'Crime Boss,' Not Guru", "Part 1: Master Raniere's secret teachings: What students learn in ESP 'Intensives'! ", "The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM", "Did Isaac Asimov Inspire Keith Raniere to be 'the Mule'? In 2017, a New York Times report inspired a justice department investigation that took down an American multi-level marketing scheme turned 'sex cult' known as NXIVM. She pleaded not guilty in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. [119], Following the conviction of Keith Raniere, members of the defunct organization split, with many speaking out against Raniere and the organization. [51] Mack was further alleged to be DOS's second-in-command after Raniere. [275] In 2015, Keeffe alleged that NXIVM leaders had planned to lure 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. He then asked her questions about her sexual history while another person performed oral sex on her, she said. [35][36], Following Raniere's conviction, he continues to direct a small set of loyal members from his prison cell, encouraging continued recruitment. A review of his transcript shows that he graduated with a 2.26 GPA, having failed or barely passed many of the upper-level math and science classes he bragged about taking. It was later revealed that the District Attorney had allowed Raniere's girlfriend Kristin Keeffe to operate within its office as a sort of victims' advocate. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [127], The federal trial of Keith Raniere began on May 7, 2019. Piesse joined NXIVM to see if it'd boost her waning singing career, which she was considering abandoning, similar to Edmondson's trajectory. [47], During NXIVM seminars, students would call Raniere and Salzman "Vanguard" and "Prefect", respectively. One of the victims was 15 years old when the abuse began. The coronavirus pandemic postponed sentencing for these crimes, but they're now back on track. How NXIVM, a so-called self-help company, crumbled after former members exposed it as a cult that abused sex slaves. In October, Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for his role in leading a cultlike group called Nxivm, in which a harem of sexual slaves were branded with his initials on their pelvises and coerced into having sex with him. Mack was arrested on April 20, 2018, on charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy. [3] NXIVM is also the trademarked name of the defunct corporation that Raniere founded, which provided seminars and videos in the field of human potential development. [7][8] The subsidiary companies of NXIVM recruited based on the multi-level marketing model and used curricula based on the intellectual property ("tech") of Raniere called "Rational Inquiry". Have you heard of NXIVM? There, she became one of the leaders of DOS and played an integral role in branding DOS women and making them Raniere's sex slaves, which she admitted during her court hearing in 2019. It was never about possessions, status, renown wealth is now measured by the quality of friendship, soulfulness and love. je voulais juste avoir de tes nouvelles nxivm website archive. Morris, Scot (April 1985). "[32] Sullivan filed notice of appeal on October 7, 2020. Nicole Hong, Barry Meier and Colin Moynihan contributed reporting. Sources. In 2019, she plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy after stealing former members' identities, hacking into their emails, and altering video footage to avoid lawsuits against NXIVM. By creating a new understanding, we can actualize our potential to live and work together and consequently bring human existence to a whole new level. There are numerous reports that the cult at the center of HBO's new docuseries The Vow, NXIVM, is still active, despite its leader Keith Raniere's . It touts itself as a "professional coaching company" and its website says it offers "Executive Success Programs," or "ESP," in New York, California, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. [248], Suneel Chakravorty, a software developer, remained among Raniere's post-conviction followers, dancing outside the jail where Raniere is confined. [56][44], NXIVM claimed its training is a trade secret, subject to non-disclosure agreements, but reportedly uses a technique the organization calls "rational inquiry" to facilitate personal and professional development.