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A class-action lawsuit has been filed in New York against Sara Bronfman-Igtet,an heiress to the Seagram liquor fortune, alleging she purposely misled students of the controversial self-help group Nxivm whose senior membership is the subject of sex-trafficking allegations.
The plaintiffs want their tuition money back. They claim in the suit that Raniere’s purported credentials were falsified and that their money was used to fund an alleged criminal enterprise.
The suit alleges that Bronfman-Igte knew the “Executive Success Program” workshops Raniere led “were designed … to be another Multi-Level Marketing scheme to defraud students out of millions of dollars with classes that had no end, no graduation, no certification, and no credential.”
One of the group’s most prominent members, actress Allison Mack, was charged in April with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy. Best known for her years-long role as Chloe Sullivan on The WB’sSmallville,Mack is facing a minimum sentence of 15 years in prisonif convicted on all of her charges.
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Raniere,who was arrested in March, faces the same charges and potential prison sentence. Both he and Mack have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is set to begin Oct. 1.
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“The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit,” Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, alleged in a statement issued at the time of Mack’s arrest.
RELATED VIDEO: Seagram Liquor Heiress Arrested, Charged in Connection to Nxivm’s Sex Slavery Allegations
Nxivm was based out of Albany, New York, and has been the subject of scrutiny from both law enforcement and journalists as it came under fire fromDynastyactress Catherine Oxenberg, whose estranged daughter, India, joined the group in 2011.
Sister Faces Charges in Connection to Group
Bronfman-Igtet’s sister, Clare Bronfman,was charged in Julywith racketeering conspiracy in connection to her involvement with the group. She has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $100 million bond, according to theAssociated Press.
The U.S. District Attorney alleged in a press release that Bronfman helped Raniere — known as “Vanguard” to his followers — monitor the electronic communication of his “perceived enemies and critics.”
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The two allegedly used the credit card and banking information of one of Raniere’s sexual partners after her death in November 2016. The card was allegedly used to pay for a chiropractor, and thousands of dollars were allegedly spent on clothes and shoes for the mother of Raniere’s child.
Bronfman has also been accused of providing illegal entry to an immigrant for her own financial benefit, according to the release.
The Bronfman sisters are the daughters of late billionaire Seagrams CEO Edgar Bronfman.
Bronfman-Igtet has not been charged with a crime.
PEOPLE was unable to get a comment on the suit from Bronfman-Igtet.
source: people.com
