Keith Raniere

Keith Allen Raniere
Born:	August 26, 1960 Brooklyn, New York
Charges:	Racketeering, Racketeering conspiracy, Sex trafficking, Forced labor conspiracy, Wire fraud conspiracy, Sex trafficking conspiracy, Identity theft
Sentence:	120 years
Facility:	USP Tucson
Status:	Incarcerated

Keith Allen Raniere (born August 26, 1960) is an American cult leader and convicted sex trafficker who was sentenced to 120 years in federal prison for his role as the founder and leader of NXIVM, a purported self-improvement organization that prosecutors proved was a criminal enterprise involving sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering. Operating from the Albany, New York area from 1998 to 2018, NXIVM attracted thousands of members through its "Executive Success Programs" before investigations revealed a secret subgroup called DOS (Dominus Obsequious Sororium), in which Raniere kept women as "slaves" who were branded with his initials, coerced into sexual acts, and subjected to extreme caloric restriction. In October 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected Raniere's fifth attempt to obtain a new trial, upholding his conviction and the trial court's rulings.

Summary

Keith Raniere's case exposed how a charismatic con man could build a predatory organization disguised as a self-help company. For two decades, Raniere—who insisted on being called "Vanguard" by his followers—presented himself as one of the world's most intelligent people, claiming to have solved problems that stumped history's greatest thinkers. Through NXIVM's "Executive Success Programs," which charged thousands of dollars for courses teaching a methodology Raniere claimed would eliminate psychological barriers to success, he attracted members including Hollywood actresses, wealthy heiresses, and professionals seeking personal improvement.

Behind the veneer of self-improvement, federal prosecutors proved, Raniere ran a criminal enterprise. He maintained a harem of sexual partners, including women he had groomed since they were teenagers. Through DOS, the secret subgroup he founded around 2015, he built a system in which women were recruited as "slaves" by "masters" who were themselves slaves to Raniere. These women were required to provide "collateral"—nude photographs, confessions, or other damaging material—that would be released if they tried to leave. They were branded with Raniere's initials using a cauterizing pen, subjected to extreme diets, and required to be sexually available to Raniere at all times.

The case gained widespread attention through documentaries, including HBO's "The Vow" and the Starz series "Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult," which featured testimony from former members describing their experiences.

Background

Early Life

Keith Allen Raniere was born on August 26, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York, to James Raniere, an advertising executive, and Vera Oschypko. When Raniere was five, the family moved to Suffern, New York. His mother suffered from heart disease and underwent open heart surgery when Raniere was 13, from which she had great difficulty recovering. According to accounts from people who knew him, Raniere was deeply affected by his mother's illness and spent much of his time caring for her, rarely engaging with peers his own age. His mother died on his 18th birthday, four months after her surgery.

Education

Raniere was reportedly advanced in science and math and left high school early to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He claims to have earned three degrees from the institute, majoring in mathematics, physics, and biology while minoring in psychology and philosophy. He cultivated an image as a genius, later claiming to have been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest recorded IQ, though this claim has been disputed.

Consumer's Buyline

In the early 1990s, Raniere founded Consumer's Buyline, a multi-level marketing company that offered discounted consumer goods. The company attracted regulatory scrutiny and was investigated by attorneys general in multiple states who accused it of operating as a pyramid scheme. Raniere was forced to shut down the company in 1996 after reaching settlements with regulators. This early failure foreshadowed his later ventures' mix of grandiose claims and predatory practices.

NXIVM

Founding and Growth

In 1998, Raniere partnered with Nancy Salzman, a nurse and practitioner of neurolinguistic programming, to found Executive Success Programs (ESP), which would become the core of NXIVM. The organization offered courses purporting to help participants overcome psychological barriers and achieve their full potential. The methodology, which Raniere called "Rational Inquiry," drew on concepts from various self-help traditions and charged thousands of dollars for multi-day intensives.

At its height, NXIVM had approximately 700 members and operated centers in Albany, New York; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Mexico. It attracted celebrities including actress Allison Mack and Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk, as well as Clare and Sara Bronfman, heiresses to the Seagram liquor fortune, who provided millions of dollars in funding.

Within NXIVM, Raniere was referred to as "Vanguard" and was treated with reverence by followers, who were required to address him with special greetings and defer to his judgment on all matters.

DOS

Around 2015, Raniere created a secret subgroup within NXIVM called DOS (Dominus Obsequious Sororium, Latin for "Master Over Slave Women"). DOS was structured as a pyramid, with Raniere at the top as the sole "grandmaster." Women were recruited by other women who served as their "masters," and each recruit was required to provide "collateral"—nude photographs, video confessions, or damaging information about themselves or their families—that would allegedly be released if they left the group.

Members of DOS were subjected to extreme requirements, including severely restricted diets (some women were limited to 500-800 calories per day), sleep deprivation, and round-the-clock availability to respond to texts from Raniere. They were branded on their pubic region with a symbol that, unknown to most of them, incorporated Raniere's initials. Many were coerced into sexual acts with Raniere, which were presented as an honor.

The branding ceremonies were performed by a doctor using a cauterizing pen, without anesthesia, while other women held the victim down. Photographs of the brandings were taken.

Arrest and Conviction

Exposure

NXIVM began to unravel in 2017 when former members spoke to journalists. In October 2017, The New York Times published an exposé describing the branding ceremonies and coercive practices within DOS. In the following months, additional reporting and testimony from former members further exposed the organization's abuses.

Arrest

In March 2018, Raniere fled to Mexico. He was arrested at a luxury villa in Puerto Vallarta on March 26, 2018, by Mexican federal police working with the FBI. He was extradited to the United States and held without bail pending trial.

Trial and Conviction

Raniere's trial began in May 2019 in federal court in Brooklyn before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. Prosecutors presented testimony from multiple women describing their experiences in DOS, including the branding ceremonies, coerced sexual acts, and the collateral system. Key evidence included photographs of child pornography found on Raniere's computer, depicting a 15-year-old girl identified at trial as "Camila."

On June 19, 2019, the jury convicted Raniere on all counts: racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, attempted sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy. The jury found prosecutors had proven 11 "bad acts" supporting the racketeering conviction.

Sentencing

On October 27, 2020, Judge Garaufis sentenced Raniere to 120 years in federal prison—effectively a life sentence for the then-60-year-old defendant. The judge also imposed a $1.75 million fine and ordered lifetime supervised release in the unlikely event Raniere is ever freed.

Appeals

Raniere has made multiple attempts to overturn his conviction. His October 2025 appeal to the Second Circuit—his fifth attempt to obtain a new trial—alleged that FBI agents fabricated or tampered with digital evidence, specifically a hard drive and camera containing the child pornography images. Raniere claimed the evidence was planted to frame him.

On October 27, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit—Judges Pierre N. Leval, Richard J. Sullivan, and Maria Araujo Kahn—unanimously rejected the appeal. The court found no abuse of discretion in Judge Garaufis's rulings and no evidence of government misconduct. The panel noted that even if the child pornography conviction were set aside, the racketeering conviction would still stand because prosecutors had proven 11 bad acts supporting it, and only two were required.

Raniere may still petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review, though such petitions are rarely granted. He also has a pending habeas corpus petition in the Eastern District of New York, which remains on hold.

Current Status

Raniere, now 65, is incarcerated at USP Tucson, a high-security federal penitentiary in Arizona, where he is serving his 120-year sentence.

Other NXIVM Defendants

Several other NXIVM members pleaded guilty or were convicted:

• Allison Mack: The actress, who recruited women into DOS and participated in the branding ceremonies, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2021 and has been released.
• Nancy Salzman: NXIVM's co-founder was sentenced to 42 months in prison.
• Clare Bronfman: The Seagram heiress was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for her financial role in the organization.
• Lauren Salzman: Nancy Salzman's daughter, who served as a "master" in DOS, was sentenced to probation.

Terminology

• Racketeering: Operating an ongoing criminal enterprise through a pattern of illegal activity, charged under the RICO Act.

• Sex Trafficking: The use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person to engage in commercial sex acts.

• Forced Labor: Compelling a person to work through threats or coercion.

• Multi-Level Marketing (MLM): A business model in which participants earn money by recruiting new members, often criticized as resembling pyramid schemes.

See Also

• Overview of the Federal Prison System
• Pre-Sentencing Process