Well, it certainly didn’t take long for Keith Raniere to find out what the rest of his life is going to be like…
Shortly after being returned to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) after his stunning conviction on all charges, Raniere got jumped by three Mexican inmates.
Clik here to view.
No word yet on whether any of them suffered any injuries but we do have a scorecard for the former Vanguard:
– Multiple bruises
– A couple of cracked ribs
– A broken toe
– Lots of tears
The “good news” is that he got to spend a few days in the medical ward – which meant that he was out of harm’s way for a little while.
The “bad news” is that he was cuffed to the bed frame that entire time – and guarded 24/7 by an MDC guard.
And, as unbelievable as it may sound, the medical ward nursing staff did not get together and offer him a “group blow job”.
How the mighty have fallen…
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Back To The SHU
In order to ensure that he doesn’t get beat up again before he’s moved to another prison, MDC is planning to house him in its Special Housing Unit (SHU).
He’ll likely be given his own cell – where he’ll get to spend 23 hours per day all by himself.
It ain’t exactly fun but it’s better than being the cellblock piñata.
Clik here to view.
And he does get that 60 minutes of free time each day.
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Once A Con Man, Always A Con Man
Despite all his recent misfortunes, Raniere has retained his essential characteristics.
And so it was no surprise when he informed MDC that his religious beliefs restrict him from eating certain foods – which, if true, would entitle him to receive different meals than other prisoners.
Clik here to view.
MDC, however, denied his request for the special meals – which caused him to file a formal appeal.
Such appeals rarely result in positive outcomes but they are definitely noted by the guards as an indication that a prisoner thinks he’s “special”. And “special” is not a good thing in prison.
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Questions Arise About Future Legal Representation
Since the end of his trial, Raniere has not had many visits from his local attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.
Clik here to view.
But he has been on the phone quite a bit with an attorney from outside the area.
Whether that’s his Albany, NY attorney, Paul DerOhannesian II – or some other attorney – is not known.
Perhaps the highly-regarded Stephen R. Coffey – and some of his partners at the O’Connell & Aronowitz law firm – are going to be brought in to help convince the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that Raniere deserves a new trial.
Clik here to view.
Coffey already auditioned for that role when he unleashed his foul-mouthed attack on Marc Agnifilo shortly after the end of Raniere’s trial.
Of course, being able to convince the appellate judges in the Second Circuit that your client deserves a new trial is a much harder task than getting the Albany County District Attorney to indict some of your client’s enemies even though there’s no jurisdictional basis for such an indictment.
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Raniere May Be Moved To An Interim Location
Although it’s quite common for recently-convicted prisoners to remain at MDC until they are sentenced, Raniere may be moved to an interim location.
One possibility is the Federal Correctional Complex in Allenwood, PA – which houses about 2,900 prisoners in three different facilities: low security, medium security, and high security.
Clik here to view.
That would get him out of MDC – where he is clearly a “marked man” – and still keep him fairly close to his legal team.
Another possibility is the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan – which is where Jeffrey Epstein is currently being held.
Clik here to view.
There’s definitely an empty bed at MCC because the guy who was occupying it – El Chapo – was recently shipped off to the federal supermax prison in Fremont, CO.
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The problem for Raniere is that no matter where he’s imprisoned, he’s going to be targeted.
As John Tighe so aptly describes it: “When you’re in prison, you’re never alone – and you’re always alone”.
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And just to top things off, there was a small fire at MDC last Friday that resulted in six people being taken to the hospital – and that knocked out power in the facility.