United States v. Raniere

384 F. Supp. 3d 282
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedApril 29, 2019
Docket18-CR-204-1 (NGG) (VMS)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 384 F. Supp. 3d 282 (United States v. Raniere) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Raniere, 384 F. Supp. 3d 282 (E.D.N.Y. 2019).

Opinion

NICHOLAS G. GARAUFIS, United States District Judge.

*292Defendant Keith Raniere has been indicted on charges arising from his involvement in several hierarchical pyramid-structured organizations he founded. (Second Superseding Indictment ("Indictment") (Dkt. 430) ¶¶ 1-49.) These organizations included Nxivm, which purported to offer self-help courses, and "DOS," a secret society that purported to be a women's empowerment group. (Compl. (Dkt. 1) ¶ 17; Indictment ¶¶ 1-3, 42.) The Indictment charges him with racketeering (or "RICO") conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) ("Count One") (id. ¶¶ 13-26); and with racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1962(c) ("Count Two") (id. ¶¶ 16-40). It also charges Raniere with participation in a forced labor conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1589(a) ("Count Six") (id. ¶ 44); wire fraud conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 ("Count Seven") (id. ¶ 45); and sex trafficking offenses, in violation of provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 1591 ("Count Eight," "Count Nine," and "Count Ten") (id. ¶¶ 46-48).

Before the court are Raniere's motions to dismiss various counts and predicate racketeering acts in the Indictment, for a bill of particulars, for prompt disclosure of exculpatory materials pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), to preclude the Government's proposed experts, and for an order allowing foreign witnesses to testify via live videoconferencing. (Keith Raniere Mot. to Dismiss Indictment, for a Bill of Particulars, for Brady Materials, and for Foreign Trial Testimony ("Raniere Mot.") (Dkt. 456).) The court DENIES Raniere's motions for the following reasons.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Government's Factual Allegations1

1. Nxivm and DOS

The Government alleges in its complaint that, in or about 1998, Raniere founded Executive Success Programs, Inc. ("ESP"), a series of workshops designed (according to its promotional literature) to "actualize human potential." (Compl. ¶ 3.) In or about 2003, Raniere founded an organization called Nxivm, which served as an umbrella organization for ESP and other affiliated entities. (Id. ) Nxivm promoted itself as a "professional business providing educational tools, coaching and trainings to corporations and people from all walks of life," and described its philosophy as "a new ethical understanding" that allows "humanity to rise to its noble possibility." (Id. )

Nxivm was headquartered in Albany, New York, and recruited members from around the world, including from the Eastern District of New York. (Id. ¶ 5.) It offered classes in various cities within the *293United States and abroad, which cost up to $ 5,000 for a five-day workshop. (Id. ¶ 6.) Nxivm encouraged its participants to continue attending classes and to recruit others into Nxivm in order to be promoted within the organization and thereby reach certain "goal levels." (Id. ) The Nxivm curriculum allegedly taught, among other things, that women had inherent weaknesses including "overemotional" natures," an inability to keep promises, and embracing the role of victim. (Id. ¶ 17.)

In 2015, Raniere created a secret society called "DOS,"2 which is structured like a pyramid with levels of "slaves" headed by "masters." (Id. ¶¶ 11, 13.) DOS slaves were expected to recruit slaves of their own, who in turn would owe service to their own masters and to masters above. (Id. ¶ 13.) All DOS participants were women except for Raniere, whose status as the highest DOS master was allegedly concealed from newly recruited slaves, other than those directly under Raniere. (Id. ¶ 14.)

DOS masters recruited slaves mostly from Nxivm. (Id. ¶ 15.) Masters targeted dissatisfied women by telling them that DOS would change their lives and that, to join DOS, they would need to provide "collateral" to ensure they would not leave the group or tell others about it. (Id. ¶¶ 15-19.) Collateral included sexually explicit photographs and videos; rights to financial assets; videos made to look to look candid in which the prospective slaves told damning stories (true or untrue) about themselves, friends, or family members; and letters making damaging accusations (true or untrue) about friends and family members. (Id. ¶¶ 16, 18.)

After joining DOS, slaves were required to provide additional collateral every month; all DOS slaves were ultimately made to provide more collateral than had initially been described to them. (Id. ¶¶ 18-19.) Slaves were also obligated to perform "acts of care" for and pay "tribute" to their masters by bringing them coffee, buying them groceries, making them lunch, carrying their luggage, cleaning their houses, and retrieving lost items for them, among other things.3 (Id. ¶ 20.) Allegedly, DOS members understood that the slaves' acts of care should amount to the master having the work of at least one full-time employee. (Id. )

Beyond acts of care, slaves were regularly given assignments by their masters. (Id. ¶ 22.) Some masters allegedly gave their slaves assignments that either directly or implicitly required them to have sex with Raniere. (Id. ) Other assignments required slaves to adhere to extremely low-calorie diets and to document the food they ate, which was meant to accommodate Raniere's sexual preference for thin women. (Id. ) Other women were assigned to periods of celibacy. (Id. ) Slaves who were assigned to have sex with Raniere believed that not doing so would risk release of their collateral. (Id. ¶ 23.)

Allegedly, DOS masters profited from directing slaves to have sex with Raniere by receiving the acts of care that came with continued status and participation in DOS, and by receiving increased status and financial opportunities within Nxivm more broadly. (Id. ¶ 24; see

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Bluebook (online)
384 F. Supp. 3d 282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-raniere-nyed-2019.