Nancy L. Salzman (born July 16, 1954) is an American felon and the co-founder of
NXIVM
NXIVM () is the name commonly used to describe the personality cult of imprisoned racketeer and sex offender Keith Raniere. NXIVM is also the trademarked name of the defunct corporation that Raniere founded, which provided seminars and vide ...
, a multi-level marketing company and
cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
based near
Albany,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. A former nurse, Salzman worked with
Keith Raniere
Keith Allen Raniere (; born August 26, 1960) is an American criminal convicted for a pattern of racketeering activity including human trafficking, sex offenses, and fraud. He co-founded NXIVM, a purported-self-help multi-level marketing com ...
in the development of the organization beginning in the 1990s.
Background
Salzman was raised in
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847, an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count ...
and graduated from
Cranford High School
Cranford High School is a four-year state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school serving students in ninth grade, ninth through twelfth grades, located in Cranford, New Jersey, Cranford, in Union County, New Jersey, ...
in her hometown in 1972.
She has had experience with
hypnosis
Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...
and
NLP.
[ Salzman is listed in the Nursys database as having a nursing license in the state of New York from 1983 to its expiration in 2019.
]
NXIVM
Before Keith Raniere
Keith Allen Raniere (; born August 26, 1960) is an American criminal convicted for a pattern of racketeering activity including human trafficking, sex offenses, and fraud. He co-founded NXIVM, a purported-self-help multi-level marketing com ...
met Salzman, Raniere operated a pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a business model that recruits members via a promise of payments or services for enrolling others into the scheme, rather than supplying investments or sale of products. As recruiting multiplies, recruiting becomes quickly im ...
called Consumers' Buyline Inc. that was shut down by the Attorney General of New York
The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government o ...
in September 1996. In 1997, Raniere joined forces with Salzman in developing Executive Success Programs, which would eventually be rebranded as NXIVM
NXIVM () is the name commonly used to describe the personality cult of imprisoned racketeer and sex offender Keith Raniere. NXIVM is also the trademarked name of the defunct corporation that Raniere founded, which provided seminars and vide ...
.[ At NXIVM, Salzman had considerable authority as president of the company and was referred to as "Prefect" by cult members. As the second-in-command, Salzman helped create and promote Raniere's teachings and ideology and recruit individuals into NXIVM. Former members have accused Salzman of being Raniere's abettor and protector and helping Raniere control members and avoid accountability within the organizations.
According to prosecutors, Salzman was essential to the NXIVM criminal enterprise. Salzman had an immense influence on NXIVM, which included conspiracy to commit identity theft and conspiracy to alter records. Between 2005 and 2008, Salzman participated in the unlawful surveillance and investigation of perceived critics and enemies of Raniere and NXIVM. Salzman unlawfully surveilled these perceived enemies in an attempt to gain an advantage over them and stop them from criticizing the company. In Salzman's home, law enforcement agents recovered a box containing purported private banking information of many individuals perceived to be critics and enemies of Raniere, including journalists, judges and an expert on cults. Salzman also conspired to obstruct justice by altering videotapes in a civil suit between NXIVM and a former student by editing and removing portions of session videos in favor of the company. In 2003, NXIVM filed a copyright infringement suit against a former student, her parents and a cult deprogrammer. The former student filed counterclaims against NXIVM in 2008, alleging NXIVM had misrepresented the nature and effectiveness of its programs. During the pending litigation, Salzman and others altered the videotapes to remove segments that they believed would have supported the former student's claims and to make it look as if the videos were unedited. These altered videotapes were then produced in discovery by NXIVM's attorneys with the false claim that they were provided in "unedited fashion".][ ]
In March 2018, FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
agents raided Salzman's house, located on Oregon Trail in Waterford, New York
Waterford is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 8,423 at the 2010 census. The name of the town is derived from its principal village, also called Waterford. The town is located in the southeast corner of Sara ...
, on a search warrant and seized large amounts of cash totaling $520,000 stuffed in bags, envelopes and shoe boxes, including one shoe box that held more than $390,000. Agents also seized numerous computers, data-storage devices, cameras, various mobile phones and BlackBerrys, and small amounts of Mexican and Russian currency.
On July 24, 2018, Federal agents arrested Salzman, her daughter, Lauren Salzman, bookkeeper Kathy Russell and Clare Bronfman
Clare Bronfman (born 1979) is an American heiress, convicted felon and former leader of NXIVM, a multi-level marketing company and cult based near Albany, New York. She is the youngest daughter of billionaire philanthropist and former Seagram ...
on an indictment with charges of conspiracy racketeering. In July 2018, the court found that Salzman, Keith Raniere, Clare Bronfman, Allison Mack
Allison Christin Mack (born July 29, 1982) is an American actress. She played Chloe Sullivan on the superhero series ''Smallville'' (2001–2011) and had a recurring role on the comedy series '' Wilfred'' (2012–2014).
Mack was a member of N ...
, Kathy Russell, and Salzman's daughter had committed identity theft, extortion, forced labor, sex trafficking, money laundering, wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
In March 2019, Salzman pled guilty to charges of conspiracy racketeering under the jurisdiction of the . Salzman was scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2019. Her sentencing, however, was pushed to a later date. On July 9, 2021, it was announced that Salzman's sentencing date will be held on August 2, 2021. This was later moved to September 8, 2021.
In January 2020, several NXIVM individuals, including Salzman and her daughter Lauren, were named defendants in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court by 80 former NXIVM members. The lawsuit charged that the NXIVM organisation was a pyramid scheme, exploitation of its recruits and conducting illegal human experiments and making it "physically and psychologically difficult, and in some cases impossible, to leave the coercive community."
In September 2021, Salzman was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for racketeering conspiracy. Salzman also agreed to forfeit several real estate properties, more than $500,000 in cash and a Steinway grand piano. Salzman reported to Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton
The Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton (FCI Hazelton) is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates, as well as a secure facility for female inmates, located in unincorporated Preston County, West Virginia. It is the n ...
in West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
on February 21, 2022.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salzman, Nancy
1954 births
21st-century American criminals
21st-century American women
American women nurses
American people convicted of fraud
American businesspeople convicted of crimes
Cranford High School alumni
NXIVM people
Living people
People convicted of racketeering
People from Clifton Park, New York
People from Cranford, New Jersey
People from New York (state)
Pyramid and Ponzi schemes
Cult leaders
Medical malpractice