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Judge postpones sentencing for Nxivm accountant Kathy Russell indefinitely

New York Post/January 21, 2020

By Andrew Denney

Sentencing for Nxivm’s longtime accountant has been pushed back indefinitely, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Kathy Russell, 62, was set to be sentenced in Brooklyn federal court next week after pleading guilty in April to visa fraud for her role in the cult-like upstate organization.

Her lawyers have asked to push it back to April 21 while waiting for the probation department to issue a recommendation for Russell’s sentence. Judge Nicholas Garaufis agreed to move it, but did not set a new date.

Russell could get up to 10 years in prison on the charge, but sentencing guidelines recommend that she get between six months and a year behind bars.

The bean counter was arrested alongside Nxivm leader Keith Raniere and a slew of other top members in 2018 following bombshell allegations that women in the purported self-help group were being kept as “slaves” and were forced to have sex with Raniere.

She ultimately copped to the visa fraud charge for knowingly presenting phony documents to a consulate in Mexico to bring a Nxivm member into the US under false pretenses.

Prior to pleading, Russell displayed her devotion to Nxivm by invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination more than 80 times when she went before a grand jury.

Raniere was convicted in June on charges including sex trafficking and forced labor, which could land him behind bars for the rest of his life.

In the months since his verdict came down, Garaufis has approved several requests to postpone sentencing dates for the honcho and his inner circle.

Most recently, the judge moved Nxivm financier and Seagram booze heiress Clare Brofman’s day of reckoning to Feb. 14 and postponed Raniere’s date indefinitely.

Adherents Lauren Salzman, Nancy Salzman and “Smallville” TV actress Allison Mack have also entered guilty pleas for charges related to Nxivm and are awaiting sentencing.

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