Keith Raniere has been whining about the temperature of his jail cell, cold prison food and 'noxious fumes' in his third attempt to be released on bond
Raniere, who is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, is facing charges of sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and forced labor for running the cult that pulled members from Hollywood.
The 58-year-old was arrested last year on the above charges along with Smallville actress Allison Mack, 36, who is said to have been second in command of the cult, which was based in upstate New York.
Raniere submitted papers in his third attempt to be released on bond on Thursday, citing poor conditions at the prison and claiming the recent government shutdown prevented him from meeting with his counsel.
Raniere's next court appearance is slated for February 6 and his team claims they have not been properly able to consult with their client.
In December 2018, Raniere had submitted papers hoping to be released on bond for the second time.
In response the prosecution pointed to many of the allegations they made about the man when he was first indicted earlier last year as well as some shocking new claims.
Those included the fact that Raniere had spoken in favor of incest, said gang rape was acceptable if the woman had an orgasm, and engaged in sexual relations with at least one underage member of his cult.
It is also stated in the government opposition to Raniere's request for bail that he kept one woman locked in a room for two years after she refused to engage in sexual relations.
Who Will Be Paying The Attorney Fees For The NXIVM Defendants?
In January it was revealed the other members of Nxivm who are facing criminal charges for a number of alleged offenses were cut off by billionaire heiress Clare Bronfman after Raniere blew through millions from her legal fund.
The Seagram heiress had created the fund to pay counsel for the other defendants in the case.
The exact amount of that fund has never been revealed, but the number has been reported as somewhere between $5 and $10 million.
But Judge Garaufis informed counsel that three-quarters of the fund was gone already, and with the trial set to start in late April there was no conceivable way that the rest of the defendants would be able to pay their attorneys once the money was gone from the fund.
That is because Bronfman has elected to not replenish the fund she created, meaning that only she and Raniere are assured high-profile representation when the case heads to trial.
Smallville star Allison Mack, Lauren and Nancy Salzman, and Kathy Russell on the other hand may soon be getting court-appointed representation.
Ouch.
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Gilly3176 ago
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lawmaker-surreal-hear-jail-inmates-banging-walls-60802198