By Ellen Cans
Actress Allison Mack, who pled guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges in the Nxivm sex-cult case, is finally set to be sentenced. As reported by the NY Post, the June 30 sentencing will come over two years after her confession to charges of involvement in the Nxivm sex-cult included extortion and forced labor. The combined charges could get her up to 40 years of jail time.
Mack, the 38-year-old former “Smallville’’ television actress, had been arrested by the FBI in April 2018 on charges of sex trafficking, conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy. As per Variety, prosecutors say she recruited women to join the NXIVM cult using blackmail, and forced them to engage in sexual activity with the notorious Keith Raniere, leader of Nxivm. Mack confessed to acting as a right-hand woman for Raniere, in the cult which posed as a women’s self-help group, but involved branding the female members like cattle with Raniere’s initials and psychologically manipulating members and treating them like sex slaves.
Mack pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court in April 2019, and while sentencing was supposed to take place in September 2020, the hearing was postponed to give parole officers “more time to write up a pre-sentencing report to help guide the judge”, as per the Post. “I was a member of a secret society founded by Keith Raniere,” Mack had told the court. “I concealed Keith Raniere’s role as the head of DOS.” Mack said at the hearing that she had believed Raniere’s intentions were to “help people” but she was “wrong,” and vowed to be a “better person”.
Raniere, himself was sentenced in October, and was charged with 120 years in prison. Some half-dozen others were also charged with involvement, including Seagram’s heiress Clare Bronfman, who in September was sentenced to more than six years of jail time. Bronfman was doled out a heavier sentence than prosecutors had suggested (five years).
Federal judge Nicholas Garaufis presided over both Raniere’s and Bronfman’s cases, and will also be handling Mack’s sentencing. “I’m here to plead guilty before your honor,” actress Mack had said while sobbing as she pleaded guilty. “I must take full responsibility for my conduct. I am very sorry for my role in this case. I am very sorry to my family and to the good people I hurt through my misguided adherence to [Nxivm leader] Keith Raniere’s teachings,” Mack added.
