Seagram’s Heiress Clare Bronfman Pleads Guilty in NXIVM Sex-Cult Case
Seagram’s heiress Clare Bronfman pleaded guilty Friday afternoon for her role in NXIVM, a purported cult in which women were allegedly branded and groomed for sex with the group’s leader.
Bronfman, 40, who was once NXIVM’s operations director and one of its largest donors, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit identity theft. The group’s bookkeeper Kathy Russell, 61, is also expected to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn federal court.
After initially fighting the charges, the two women are now the fourth and fifth defendants to plead guilty in the case, leaving NXIVM founder Keith Raniere to stand trial alone next month.
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