U.S. Attorney asks court to deny NXIVM leader’s request for new trial

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York filed a motion to ask the court to deny another request for a new trial by former NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere, saying it has “entirely no merit”.

This is now the third request by Raniere for a new trial.

This time, Raniere claims there’s “newly discovered evidence” that proves “the government manufactured child pornography and planted it on a computer hard drive to tie it to him,” according to documents filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Hajjar.

Attorneys for Raniere also made the same claim back in May of 2022, and attempted an appeal, which was also denied.

The New York court ended up affirming Raniere’s conviction on charges of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child, and forced labor conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors are again denying the former Capital Region-based, disgraced “self-improvement” guru’s claims, saying he has not in fact identified any new evidence of his claims.

Prosecutors say that evidence presented at trial also refutes his statement, when a hard drive was recovered by law enforcement at Raniere’s residence in Halfmoon contained naked photographs of an underage girl.

She submitted a sworn declaration to the court that she was 15 years old at the time the photos were taken in 2005 and that the photos were of her.

Raniere, also previously filed for a new trial with a new judge back in January 2023, which was denied by a federal appeals court.

Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in federal prison in 2020.