A New York federal judge sentenced a leader of the Nxvim cult to 42 months in prison Wednesday.
Nancy Salzman was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to a single count of racketeering conspiracy for her role in the Nxvim self-help group that turned that lured women in before sexually abusing them, the New York Times reported.
Salzman co-founded the group with Keith Raniere, who was sentenced to 120 years in prison. (RELATED: Keith Raniere Sentenced To 120 Years In Prison For Involvement In Nxivm Sex Cult)
Leading up to the sentencing hearing, Salzman attempted to distance herself from Raniere, according to The New York Times.
In a letter to the judge presiding over the case, Salzman claimed that she had been, “fooled, controlled, humiliated, and ultimately led to engage in criminal conduct by an egotistical, self-important, sex fiend,” according to the outlet.
Nancy Salzman, a top deputy in the Nxivm sex cult, was sentenced to 42 months in prison — slightly more than the sentence prosecutors had sought. https://t.co/ngk2rHK8wC
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 8, 2021
“I apologize to everyone I hurt, intentionally and not. I don’t know that I can ever forgive myself,” Salzman added during her sentencing, according to The New York Times.
Judge Nicolas Garaufis rejected Salzman’s claims of manipulation stating, “You positioned yourself alongside Mr. Raniere atop the Nxivm pyramid,” he said, adding, “In 20 years at Mr. Raniere’s side, you left trauma and destruction in your wake.”
Former Nxvim members described Nancy Salzman as a vital member of the group with direct influence over its philosophy, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors stated in a memo that Salzman had taken part in illegal surveillance of the cult’s perceived enemies, had altered evidence to be produced in a lawsuit in New Jersey and had also sought the banking records of some of the people that Nxvim viewed negatively, according to the outlet.
“The defendant exalted Raniere’s teachings and ideology and demanded absolute commitment and deference… Raniere’s teachings, which Nancy Salzman helped to create and promote, were designed to maintain power and control over Nxivm members,” prosecutors added, according to The New York Times.