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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 28 OctOber 2020
NXIVM sex-cult head Raniere gets 120 years in prison

By LARRY NEUMEISTER him "Vanguard." To honor
and TOM HAYS him, the group formed a
Associated Press secret sorority comprised of
NEW YORK (AP) — Dis- female "slaves" who were
graced self-improvement branded with his initials and
guru Keith Raniere, whose ordered to have sex with
NXIVM followers included him, the prosecutors said.
millionaires and Hollywood Women were also pres-
actors, was sentenced to sured into giving up embar-
120 years on Tuesday for rassing information about
turning some adherents themselves that could be
into sex slaves branded used against them if they
with his initials. left the group.
U.S. District Judge Nicho- Along with Bronfman, Ra-
las Garaufis called Raniere niere's teachings won him
"ruthless and unyielding" in the devotion of Hollywood
crimes that were "particu- actors including Allison
larly egregious" because Mack of TV's "Smallville."
he targeted young girls and Mack also has pleaded
young women. He handed guilty and is awaiting sen-
down the unusually high tencing.
sentence in federal court In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019, file courtroom drawing, defendant Keith Raniere, center, leader of In a sentencing submission,
in Brooklyn after hearing the secretive group NXIVM, is seated between his attorneys Paul DerOhannesian, left, and Marc lawyers for Reniere said
anguished statements by Agnifilo during the first day of his sex trafficking trial. he "continues to assert his
victims of a sex-trafficking Associated Press complete innocence to
conspiracy that resulted these charges."
in Raniere's conviction last York, along with branches was convicted on charges predator and lamented They wrote that his jury con-
year, along with unrepen- in Mexico and Canada. including racketeering, that she "may have to viction at an unfair trial re-
tant remarks from the de- Adherents included million- alien smuggling, sex traf- spend the rest of my life sulted from a media cam-
fendant himself. aires and Hollywood ac- ficking, extortion and ob- with Keith Raneire's initials paign involving witnesses
"I do believe I am innocent tresses willing to endure hu- struction of justice. seared into me." who were motivated to
of the charges. ... It is true miliation and pledge obe- They said that among other The likelihood of leniency testify falsely as part of a
I am not remorseful of the dience to the defendant crimes, Raniere began a had seemed to dissipate "heavy-handed prosecu-
crimes I do not believe I as part of his teachings. sexual relationship in 2005 with the recent sentenc- tion that threatened po-
committed at all," Raniere NXIVM has been the sub- with a 15-year-old girl and ing of Clare Bronfman, 41, tential defense witnesses."
said. ject of two TV documen- confined another teenag- an heir to the Seagram's li- His lawyers said the life pris-
Prosecutors had sought life tary series this year, HBO's er to a room for nearly two quor fortune, for her role in on term prosecutors sought
in prison while defense law- "The Vow," and the Starz years. what has been described was excessive.
yers said he should face 15 series "Seduced: Inside the Raniere had come under by some ex-members as "No one was shot, stabbed,
years behind bars. NXIVM Cult." harsh attack on Tuesday a cult. Bronfman was sen- punched, kicked, slapped
The sentencing culminated Prosecutors said Raniere, from former followers dur- tenced to nearly seven or even yelled at," they
several years of revelations 60, led what amounted to ing sentencing in his sex- years in prison. Prosecutors said. "Despite the sex of-
about Raniere's program, a criminal enterprise, in- trafficking case. had only sought five years. fenses, there is no evidence
NXIVM, which charged ducing shame and guilt to India Oxenberg, the Ex-followers told the judge that any woman ever told
thousands of dollars for influence and control co- daughter of "Dynasty" ac- that Bronfman for years Keith Raniere that she did
invitation-only self improve- conspirators who helped tress Catherine Oxenberg, had used her wealth to try not want to kiss him, touch
ment courses at its head- recruit and groom sexual called him an "entitled lit- to silence NXIVM defectors. him, hold his hand or have
quarters near Albany, New partners for Raniere. He tle princess" and a sexual Reniere's followers called sex with him."q
Giant crane arrives at Georgia shipwreck awaiting removal

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Bridge that typically domi- a spokesman for the multi- will lift the severed section nearby through Jan. 21 to
towering, floating crane nates the area's skyline. agency command over- of ship and load it onto isolate 100 salvage work-
tasked with removing an The crane will be used to seeing the ship's removal. a barge for transport to ers as a safeguard against
overturned cargo ship on chop up and remove the "Those tasks should take a scrapyard on the Gulf the virus.
the Georgia coast arrived South Korean ship Golden about three to five days, Coast. Once cutting be- The Coast Guard held
Tuesday and could begin Ray. The vessel capsized weather permitting." gins, the removal opera- hearings on the cause of
cutting the wrecked vessel Sept. 8, 2019, shortly after Resembling a giant arch- tion is expected to take the shipwreck last month.
into giant chunks within a leaving the Port of Bruns- way of steel girders an- about eight weeks. An expert concluded the
few days. wick about 70 miles (200 chored to a pair of barges, The ship's removal was Golden Ray tipped over
The crane, called the kilometers) south of Savan- the VB 10,000 is the largest delayed by a busy Atlan- because unstable loading
VB 10,000, was in place nah. More than 4,200 ve- floating crane sailing un- tic hurricane season, a had left its center of grav-
straddling the partially hicles remain in the ship's der a U.S. flag. It can lift handful of coronavirus in- ity too high. Coast Guard
submerged shipwreck cargo decks. loads of up to 7,500 tons fections among members Lt. Ian Oviatt said the ship
Tuesday afternoon, after "We're looking at a series (6,800 metric tonnes). of the salvage team and lacked enough water in its
several months in Florida of tasks that need to be The plan is for the crane to an engineering problem ballast tanks, used to add
undergoing preparations. complete" before demoli- straddle the ship and use a dealing with how to an- weight at the bottom of a
Standing 255 feet (78 me- tion of the ship begins, said large chain to cut the ves- chor the crane. vessel, to offset that of the
ters) tall, the crane is taller Coast Guard Petty Officer sel into eight big chunks. The command has vehicles in its cargo decks
than the Sidney Lanier 2nd Class Michael Himes, After each cut, the crane booked an entire resort above.q