The three-part series, premiering on February 9, gives Ray's victims a platform to speak out about Ray's decade of abuse. (Photo via DOJ). The president surprised and angered some Democrats by declining to veto a GOP effort to block a D.C. bill. Pollok is being investigated for helping Ray manipulate and abuse Pollok's fellow students at Sarah Lawrence College, on September 7 2022 she pled guilty to one count of conspiring to launder money. The publication reported she allegedly helped Ray sexually and psychologically manipulate her friends and roommates, with one student alleging that Pollok kept hold of video recordings that Ray had made to falsely incriminate them. I am truly sorry, she said as her voice broke and she sobbed. I believed and supported someone who controlled me in ways I could not understand, Pollok tearfully said, struggling to get the words out. Claudia Drury described how Larry Ray manipulated and tortured her, and led her to prostitution in the Sarah Lawrence sex-cult case. Pollok also wrote letters to the judge and prosecutors in her case. According to Law And Crime, she pleaded guilty to a single In a tearful statement before she was sentenced, Pollok who will also be required to serve three years of supervised release after she completes her prison term said she supported Ray because he controlled me in ways I cannot understand.. RELATED: Mother And Her Son Murdered Her Husband As He Slept In Bed Over $1,500 Debt. Please remember that Isabellas role in Larrys crimes, and her willingness to play that role, were not the consequences but the goal of the way in which he abused her.. Even when they, along with some other young adults already on his radar, moved into an Upper East Side apartment the following year, things between the duo purportedly remained smooth. Alleged @SarahLawrence College sex manipulator, extortionist Larry Ray had a co-conspirator. Isabella Pollok, one of the Sarah Lawrence students who fell under the influence of Mr. Ray, pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money, after being accused by . Pollok taunted Drury during the torture session, calling her a faker and telling her the water was room temperature, she testified. Hundreds of people violently detained during a protest in the Bronx could receive $21,500 each. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. And as it turns out, he had help from Sarah Lawrence college student Isabella Pollok. It's reported that Larry, Isabella and another woman named Felicia Rosario are. He lured them off campus to a New York City apartment and collected those supposed debts through physical violence, psychological abuse and sexual exploitation for roughly a decade. Larry Ray has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for using manipulation to extort millions from his victims. She had problems that he could help her talk through. Thats why Larry gradually started referring to Isabella as his wife, which soon made it clear she was not his victim (as initially suspected) but rather his co-conspirator in every sense of the term. The 4-Day Week Is for White-collar Workers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Keenan found such a sentence warranted. Your crime was an extremely serious one, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman declared, noting that it lasted a long time, caused immense harm to the victims, and involved sadistic violence. In the hearing, the Sarah Lawrence student admitted she knew her activities were wrong, which included recording the abuse Ray inflicted on Claudia Drury in the fall of 2018. Isabella Pollok has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy and money laundering after prosecutors said she conspired with Lawrence Ray, the father of her one-time college roommate to psychologically manipulate and control victims, according to a grand jury indictment obtained by Oxygen.com from He is twice her age, Cynthia told The Daily Beast in September 2022. Rays manipulation of Isabella was different in kind from the other student-victims because among other things he had made her his lover, Polloks attorneys wrote. Vish Burra, the congressmans director of operations, met me on Staten Island to explain the plan to make Santos president? George Santoss Nasty Twitter Battle With Fellow New York Republicans. She said that between 2015 and 2019, when she eventually left Ray, she understood that the "extreme majority" of the money she earned from her clients would be given to Ray and Isabella Pollok. It took my breath away, and I had a connection to Sarah Lawrence that made it that much more difficult because my sister graduated from Sarah Lawrence and I spent a year there.. There is the broken automaton. While it is certainly true that the defendant was unlikely to have instigated the abuse that was inflicted on the victims, she was a willing accomplice for years. But Polloks defense lawyers, David B. Bertan and Jill R. Shellow, also argued she was severely victimized by Ray. The same year, Ray moved in with his daughter Talia, and her other roommates including Pollok. If it were not for Lawrence Rays presence at Sarah Lawrence, Isabella would not be here. The 31-year-old, who was out on bail, also conceded in court that I knew what I was doing was wrong and against the law. From what we can tell, her sentencing hearing is scheduled for late February 2023 she faces the absolute maximum penalty of five years in a federal correctional facility, plus $250,000 in fines. Drury testified that she made $2.5 million through four years of coerced sex work and gave all of her earnings to Ray. This case is being handled by the Office's Violent and Organized Crime Unit. . "Ray then became her lover and convinced her of the need to explore her sexuality. Felicia Rosario, Daniel Barban Levin and Isabella Pollok in "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence." The director met Felicia Rosario and Pollok shortly after Levin, and when Ray's trial . During that time, Pollok became a top lieutenant to the fiend and collected cash from his victims, including Claudia Drury, a former Sarah Lawrence student whom Ray forced into prostitution. Pollok has been charged as a codefendant of Lawrence Ray, the parent of a former student who was charged last year for allegedly psychologically, physically and sexually abusing his daughter's . It has been said that she could face up to five years in jail as well as a fine of $250,000. Just about anyone who read our 2019 cover story, or followed coverage of Rays trial, or watched Stolen Youth, the new Hulu documentary in which Pollok participated, could see that Pollok was utterly brainwashed by Ray. Larry Rays only co-conspirator to be charged and convicted in the Sarah Lawrence College sex cult case was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison on Wednesday after tearfully telling the court that the guru controlled her beyond comprehension. Larry Ray was sentenced to 60 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes involving his daughter and friends. In Tennessee, Even Abortion to Save a Womans Life May Be Illegal. Isabella Pollok, and Claudia Drury. Ray as a monster, didnt dispute Polloks own victimization in the case, but noted she was also complicit in Rays campus sex ring at the esteemed liberal arts college. . Intro- Robert. Pollok grew close to Ray as he exterted control over the students, and had been both a victim and lieutenant of his offending, prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors have now charged Isabella Pollok with helping Ray psychologically and sexually exploit victims for financial gain, according to a superseding indictment. Pollok later confessed to assisting Ray in trafficking her one-time friend and roommate, Claudia Drury, as well as laundering millions of dollars of illegal income. It sparked a war of words that quickly got personal. Levin questioned his sexuality. She was barely a teenager when she met him. Will others follow? The prediction came to pass. Isabella Pollok was accused of conspiring with Larry Ray. Like most parents, Cynthia Pollok is standing by her daughter's side through her current legal struggles. There is the broken automaton. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. "They were there or a woman Ray had "forced into a life of prostitution," she says. "I am still a work in progress but know to the extent that I can make amends for the harm I have caused I am willing. Isabella Pollok, 'Trusted Lieutenant' in Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult, Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison The fellow victim of Larry Ray's psychotic cult, who helped him abused other students, will serve . Isabella Pollok and Larry Ray pictured in stills from "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence." He is the host of Law&Crime podcast "Objections: with Adam Klasfeld.". He then dumped cold water on her and choked her with a plastic bag and pillow, Drury testified. Anthony DEsposito has a bill to keep Santos, a fellow Republican, from profiting off his lies. Drury testified that they ate burgers and fries from the nearby Starlight Diner, but left her hungry. I already bought the tickets a month ago, and they sprang this on me yesterday, Cynthia told the outlet. A co-conspirator of "cult" sex trafficker Larry Ray has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. There is no question that I wanted to make my family suffer for the way they made me suffer and the only way I believed I could do it was to commit suicide back in Texas during Christmas break.. The role of Isabella Pollok who was indicted alongside Lawrence Ray in 2021 for serving as his "trusted lieutenant" in the creepy cult was thrown into sharp relief in a Manhattan . Over the next two years, Pollok underwent psychological evaluations, changed attorneys, met with therapists, worked a steady job, and found a boyfriend. If Lawrence were here in front of me right now, I would tell him how sorry I am that hes going through this and that hes being put through this. Prosecutors had previously painted Pollok as someone who held a "privileged position within the Ray Family, acting as Ray's lieutenant, with respect to his extortionate demands for financial payments, physical labor, and prostitution, and in laundering the criminal proceeds of extortion and sex trafficking through bank accounts and GoDaddy," per sentencing documentscited by PEOPLE. Claudia Drury's Harrowing Cult Story Was Documented in 'Stolen Youth' Where Is She Now? Emailus. The Cut first reported on Ray's actions in a 2019 story, in which it was detailed how Ray made himself appear to be a confidant and spiritual guide to Talia's friends. Ms. A U.S. District Court judge handed down the sentence to Isabella Pollok, 31, in a. Florida Republican Wants to Cancel Democrats Over Slavery. The docuseries 'Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence' is now available on Hulu. Pollok must report to federal prison in 60 days, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed with Oxygen.com on Friday. She had hoped to change that next month, when Isabella's trial was set to start. An indictment unsealed in January of 2021 named Pollok as a co-defendant who willingly joined Ray's "criminal scheme," according to the New York Times. While the situation seemed odd at first to . Where Is Larry Rays Cult Survivor Claudia Drury Now. The sport desperately needs to change, no matter how loudly purists complain. The prosecutor pointed to the dozens of cash pickups Pollok made from Drury while she was living in hotel rooms and sleeping with men for money. And a chatbot is not a human. Felicia Rosario, Former Sarah Lawrence Sex-Cult Member, Has Taken Her Life Back. Prior to taking a plea deal, Pollok had faced a series of charges, including extortion conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy and money laundering. I felt I was sinking into the quicksand of what would have mirrored my parents and my brother, addicts with no direction, her letter to the government continues. Both Pollok and her mother maintain the student was one of Rays many victims through manipulation. Additionally, many have long wondered how Isabellas family has been impacted by the news. It was also stated in the documents that Ray had "tied his victim to a chair, placed a plastic bag over her head, and nearly suffocated her.". The network has reportedly instituted a soft ban on Trump, a huge problem for his campaign and for Fox News if the policy backfires. to a single count of conspiracy in September. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. A Whistleblowers Claims About a St. Louis Transgender Center Are Under Fire. AUSA's first line:"On Oct. 16, 2018, Lawrence Ray went to a midtown motel. Ray, who was sentenced to 60 years in prisonfor sex trafficking and racketeering in January, manipulated the students into believing he was a guru and convinced them that they had to repay him for committing crimes against him. I deeply regret it. I am truly sorry.. In January 2021, prosecutors charged Pollok with money laundering and three conspiracy counts racketeering, extortion, and sex trafficking. But, Isabellas guilty plea ended up throwing her for a loop. I deeply regret it. The 30-year-old was indicted by federal. She had been estranged from her family and soon became one of the elder Ray's most eager acolytes. His co-counsel Jill R. Shellow struck a similar note. Drury questioned her self-image. Ray turned a guru for the young students and soon persuaded them to believe they had committed crimes against them. As of February 2023, she hasn't been sentenced, but she did write a letter to the judge in which she stated that she, too, is a victim of conman Larry Ray. Ray, who was sentenced to 60 years in prison in January, was introduced to his victims after moving into his daughters on-campus dorm at Sarah Lawrence College in 2010. During her trial, Isabelle admitted to prosecutors that Talia and Ray had become her lifeline at Sarah Lawrence after Polloks tough childhood in Texas. Isabella Pollok, left, told the judge. Most importantly, though, per the federal prosecutors, she helped Larry channel $2.5 million from her once-roommate and friend. I wish I had been able to view the world then as I do now. Isabella did whatever Ray directed, they added. After the jury found Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son, he was given two consecutive life sentences. Santos Rosario and his siblings had a turbulent family life. Her attorneys described something akin to deprogramming. Larry Ray arrived in a federal courtroom Tuesday wearing the standard khaki shirt and pants issued to inmates awaiting trial. Have a tip we should know? Isabella Pollok's stand has come days before she will be sentenced on February 22 after she pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy. They complied. He was also said to have extorted money from their families and made some of them take part in forced labor and prostitution. Larry Ray's alleged 'lieutenant' Isabella Pollok is awaiting her sentence Documents obtained by Law And Crime claim that Pollock was indicted in Ray's case around January 2021 on. I know I committed serious crimes and I fully accept responsibility for my actions. She had faced a possible maximum of five years in prison, according to a plea agreement. Pollok admitted that she laundered the loot, and a jury heard that she participated in what prosecutors called Drurys long night of torture.. In 2011, Ray moved into a one-bedroom apartment with Talia and several friends, including Pollok, where he continued to subject them to physical and emotional abuse. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. She told the judge that she helped Ray disguise money that she knew came from illegal activities, namely the $2.5 million in sex trafficking proceeds of his victim Claudia Drury. Thanks for contacting us. According to prosecutors, she served as the chief lieutenant to Lawrence Ray, who relied on her. That night, at the Gregory Hotel in Manhattan in October 2018, Ray ordered Drury to strip naked, tied her to a chair, put a bag over her head, choked her with a leash, smothered her with a pillow, and poured water over her, according to her testimony. This trust became a sort of blind faith. Thats very different from saying, I will.'. RAY's co-defendant Isabella Pollok is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Yet it may not be a loss for the left. They had written a letter to the federal judge in the case in the weeks leading up to her sentencing pleading for leniency. Larry Ray, the master manipulator at the center of New York Magazine's story "The Stolen Kids of Sarah . This wasnt true of Pollok, the prosecutor said. Lawrences hold over me changed who I was and it continues to be a healing process.