First the “good news”: Keith Alan Raniere AKA federal Prisoner 57005-177 has been released from the SHU and is back with the rest of the prisoners at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) who are awaiting sentencing for the crimes they were convicted of or pleaded guilty to.
And that concludes the “good news” portion of this post.
Seriously, getting out of the SHU is pretty much the only good thing that’s happened to the Vanguard recently.
Everything else has been part of the slow slide into oblivion that occurs for most inmates who are facing long stints in prison.
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Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
One new problem that Keith had to deal with as soon as he got out of the SHU was the serious case of head lice that he picked up while he was there.
Head Lice
But, no big deal, right.
Modern medicine has provided us with numerous over-the-counter products that will get rid of the little buggers. Most of them come in the form of shampoos – which generally take just a few treatments to get rid of the problem.
The Bureau of Prisons, however, has its own treatment regimen for head lice.
It’s called “COYH”.
And it’s pronounced “Cut Off Your Hair”.
Yep, the hirsute one has had his locks shorn.
We’re not sure yet just how short his new look is but it’s definitely a lot shorter than the Harry Potter-look that he featured at his trial.
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“There is Only One Cure for Grey Hair…”
According to P.G. Wodehouse, “There is only one cure for grey hair. It was a Frenchman who invented it. It is called the guillotine”.
Yep, in addition to having his locks shorn, the former mastermind of the NXIVM criminal enterprise has stopped using prison dye jobs to cover up his rapidly graying hair.
A highly stylized Keith Raniere
Maybe he thought that a younger look would help convince the jury that he was not the lecherous old man that various witnesses testified about.
You know, the guy who hasn’t been real hard in a long time?
Well, in any event, for right now, the Vanguard is going au natural – which turns out to be quite grey.
Maybe this is a new ploy he’s devised for the sentencing phase of his case.
Maybe he thinks that Judge Garaufis will be inclined to give a lighter sentence to an older man.
Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis
Maybe he didn’t look very closely at Judge Garaufis during the trial.
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Has Vanguard Hired a New Team of Attorneys?
Even while he was in the SHU, Vanguard was meeting with what appears to be a new team of attorneys.
We don’t have any names yet – and it’s possible that they’re from the Brafman & Associates law firm that provided his lead counsel, Marc Agnifilo, and back-up counsel, Teny Geragos.
Marc Agnifilo – Still working for the Vanguard or fired?
Teny Geragos – Still working for the Vanguard or fired?
In any event, the new team includes two women and three men – and Raniere has already met with them several times.
But, as previously noted, the arrival of the new team of attorneys has also resulted in Raniere curtailing his trips to the Law Library at MDC.
The Vanguard is used to having people do things for him – and the idea that he might have to spend some of his own time working on his appeal must have been anathema to him.
Fortunately, just like his clothes used to appear, his new team of attorneys has appeared.
Note to Clare: You may not be very attractive or very bright but at least you’re loyal. I had a dog with the exact same qualities when I was a kid – and I still cherish him to this day.
This is the picture used by the prosecution of Clare Bronfman to show the jury during the trial of Keith Raniere.
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The Vanguard Seems Depressed
Remember that high-energy guy who was furiously writing Post-It notes throughout the trial – and who was always engaging in whispered conversations with his attorneys?
Well, that guy has left the house.
In his place is a very subdued guy – some even used the words, “seriously depressed guy” – who sits around all day watching TV.
Just sitting in his plastic chair with his prison hoodie on – and watching whatever program other inmates choose to watch.
Keith Alan Raniere will likely spend the rest of his life in prison,
The cockiness and energy that he exhibited throughout his trial are entirely gone.
He’s just a shell of his former self – and looking a little dazed at what’s going on around him.
He may be on some sort of medication that’s causing the listlessness.
Or he may finally be coming to grips with the fact that he’s likely going to spend the rest of his life in prison.
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Another Boo-Boo for the Vanguard?
No details as of yet in terms of what happened to him but the Vanguard has been sporting some sort of splint on his lower arm/hand area.
Not sure if he broke a bone or just sprained something.
Hand Splint
Fortunately for him, he’s being treated by that crack team of physicians and nurses that offer the very best of medical care to all 1,600 inmates at MDC.
So, if all goes well, they won’t have to amputate at all – or at least they’ll do so below the elbow.
Viva Executive Success!
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Stay tuned for more updates on the Vanguard…
