I would have expected the “smartest man in the world” to have figured it out a long time ago.
But that’s not the way it worked for Keith Alan Raniere AKA The Vanguard NKA Federal Prisoner 57005-177.
/// MK10ART’s splendid portrait of Keith Alan Raniere.
It was only after federal prosecutors filed their “Sentencing Memorandum” in his case last month that he apparently figured out that his phone calls, his emails, and his snail-mail letters were all being monitored.
Seriously?
He’s been at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) for almost 30 months – and he just figured that out?
Mk10ART’s painting of the MDC
Most new inmates learn all about such things the first day they show up.
That’s because other prisoners usually take newbies under their wings to help them acclimate to prison life.
A plastic bowl, a cup, a spork, and some sweatpants are pretty much the standard “welcoming package” that other inmates put together, in advance, for new inmates. Sometimes, that package may also contain some food.
Spork
Along with those items comes a lot of free advice: which COs are easy to deal with – and which are ball-busters; which prisoners need to be avoided altogether; which guys are members of which gangs; which guys run the gambling; which guys are known to be snitches; etc.
Part of that free advice always includes a warning about the monitoring of phone calls, emails, and letters from and to people outside the prison.
Either no one ever explained all this to Keith – which, given his personality, is possible.
Or he just figured he could outsmart all the prison’s monitoring mechanisms – which, given his ego, is the more likely explanation.
In any event, he now has concrete proof that most – if not all – of his communications at MDC have been actively monitored since the day he arrived there back in March 2018.
So, what does Keith do now that he knows for certain he’s being monitored?
He buys more burner phones.
MK10ART’s portrayal of Raniere with a cell phone in his cell at MDC
*****
Keith Is Either the Unluckiest Inmate at MDC or the Dumbest
Contraband of all types circulates throughout MDC – just like it does at every other prison in the U.S.
Cell phones, MP3 players, porn videos, liquor, K2 and other drugs – it’s all available, all the time.
For the most part, the COs don’t go out of their way to look for contraband unless it’s causing problems in the unit where they’ve been assigned.
Prison COs come in all varieties. Some are normal guys and others are sadists.
One of the reasons they don’t is because at least 90% of prison contraband is brought in by their fellow COs (Who wants to hurt a fellow officer’s side-hustle?).
Another reason is because busting an inmate for contraband can involve a shit-load of time to fill out paperwork, attend disciplinary hearings, etc.
So, if a prisoner who has acquired some contraband is discrete – and if he maybe even shares some of what he has with other inmates – he’s not likely going to get caught with it.
Even when there’s the occasional shakedown, many COs will intentionally overlook some of what they find if the prisoner in question is considered to be an OK guy.
That is obviously not the case with Keith.
Every time he’s acquired a cell phone, he’s been busted.
And the fact that many of these busts have occurred so soon after he got the phone strongly suggests that he’s been under constant surveillance. That, in turn, suggests that his monitoring at MDC has likely been done with court approval.
So, just as The Forgotten Ones have reported, Keith was, in fact, moved from his regular call.
Nicki Clyne and others dance in front of a sign seemingly directed to Keith Raniere.
But that wasn’t done because of their dancing and twerking.
It was done because Keith got caught with another cell phone.
*****
Keith Has Tried to Maintain Contact With NXIVM Leaders
Knowing that his hold on people requires constant reinforcement, Keith has sought to stay in touch with as many of his remaining NXIVM followers as possible.
This has included at least one person in England – and another in Wales.
And just prior to the cancellation of all visits at MDC, he was able to meet with an emissary that Sara Bronfman had sent to meet with him.
Sara Bronfman looking for a sign from her Vanguard
Keith has no intention of abandoning the NXIVM empire that he built before his arrest in Mexico.
On the contrary, he plans to rebuild as much of that empire as possible – even if he has to do so from inside federal prison.
And he won’t be doing that alone.
Just looking through the 66 letters-of-support that were submitted on behalf of Clare Bronfman, we were able to identify 27 members of the NXIVM cult.
That’s not a bad start.
And that number doesn’t even include Clare Bronfman – who has made it perfectly clear that she is still 100% loyal to Keith and NXIVM.
*****
Otherwise, Keith Has Been Very Moody & Withdrawn
For the past few weeks, Keith has hardly talked with any other inmates.
In fact, there have been several days in a row when he has neither talked to – or even looked at – any other inmates.
When he has talked, however, it’s almost always been part of his ongoing effort to convince other prisoners that he was set up by the Feds – and then abandoned by people that he trusted.
And for anyone who’s willing to listen, he’s been happy to explain exactly how and why his conviction is going to be overturned on appeal.
Mk10ART’s painting of Keith Raniere imprisoned by his own brand.
Keith is back to eating everything that’s put in front of him – but he still refuses to shower more than once a week.
More and more, Keith is starting to sound like a doddering old man who is increasingly losing touch with reality.
Although such a development would normally be cause for concern, losing touch with reality may actually be the perfect response to the fate that awaits him.
Having to deal with the reality of being sentenced to life in federal prison – or even with a de facto life sentence of 25-30 years – would be an incredibly hard thing to do for just about anyone.
But it has to be that much harder for a man who had it all: ardent supporters, numerous lovers, unlimited financial backing, no need to work, etc., etc.
It is one thing to fall from the sidewalk to the street.
It is an entirely different thing to fall from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the canyon.
Hang in there, Vanguard, the worst is yet to come!
