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Categories: Keith Raniere · NXIVM · Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis

Raniere, facing possible life sentence, wants judge to know ‘he’s being watched’

Published by Times Union on August 28, 2020

By Robert Gavin

Credit: Government exhibit: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Keith Raniere told a loyal NXIVM disciple he wanted to “get scrutiny” on the federal judge who will sentence him in October and that the judge needs to know “he’s being watched,” federal prosecutors in Brooklyn revealed in asking the same judge to send Raniere to prison for life.

In a lengthy recommendation to Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis filed late Thursday, prosecutors said the 60-year-old Raniere, the purported self-help guru and convicted sex trafficker whose cult-like organization was based in Colonie, is communicating with his remaining followers through emails and jailhouse phone conversations.

Raniere is known as “Vanguard” within NXIVM, which had locations in Mexico, Vancouver and California. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27 by Garaufis, who presided over Raniere’s 2019 trial in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn’s Eastern District. The prosecution’s filing showed Raniere appears to be focused heavily on judges, at times sounding almost desperate, and also ripped his former acolytes who he believes have betrayed him.

Related: NXIVM members dancing for Raniere outside federal prison

“I’ll be in here for the rest of my life if we don’t do something,” Raniere told supporter Suneel Chakravorty on April 8 from inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Raniere is being held. “ … (A)nd the rest of my life might not be that long considering the way things are in here, you know, once I get to a destination point — because I’ll go to a pen.”

“Yeah,” Chakravorty responded.

“So … what we have to do also is get scrutiny on this judge, get some pundit who is willing to speak out about what this judge is saying, which is crazy, and the judge needs to know he’s being watched,” Raniere responded.

“Yeah,” Chakravorty responded.

“ … By someone who is wise,” Raniere said.

“Yeah,” Chakravorty said.

“So now we gotta figure out the next step with Dershowitz,” Raniere said, referring to attorney Alan Dershowitz, who has represented high-profile defendants, including notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and spoke in President Donald Trump’s defense during his impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate. There have been no public indications that Dershowitz has become involved in Raniere’s case.

Related: Complete Times Union coverage of NXIVM

In the same conversation, Raniere told Chakravorty that he believed major witnesses at his trial “all lied,” and that he suspected Garaufis “wants me away forever” and was corrupt.

Dershowitz could not be reached Friday.

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About the authors

Toni Natalie spent eight years with Keith Raniere, as his girlfriend and business partner. She watched as he  transformed himself from multi-level marketing guru into the cult leader known as Vanguard. When Toni finally left him, he threatened her: “I will see you dead or in jail.” He was half right.

Chet Hardin is the only journalist to play a midnight game of volleyball with actress Allison Mack, Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman, and the now-notorious Keith Raniere.

Contact details

Toni Natalie
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Chet Hardin
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