It caused immense harm to its victims, destroying lives in the process.. Isabella Pollok and Larry Ray pictured in stills from "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence." Pollok is being investigated for helping Ray manipulate and abuse Pollok's. And now there is the Isabella who is before Your Honor prepared to be sentenced. 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.. Attorneys Danielle Sassoon, Mollie Bracewell, and Lindsey Keenan are in charge of the prosecution. Lawrence Ray, 59, who goes by Larry, is a well-known New York scammer who has strong ties to disgraced former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik. Jamie Reeds shocking account of a clinic mistreating children went viral. Liman worried about what effect a non-jail sentence would send. 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. February 23, 2023. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Drury, who felt the worst brunt on Polloks exploitation, appeared to agree in a letter to the court. She does not deserve to go to jail.. The former Sarah Lawrence College student pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in September. Where Is Larry Rays Cult Survivor Claudia Drury Now. 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. In 2010, Isabella Pollok was 19-year-old and a student at Sarah Lawrence College. But Polloks defense lawyers, David B. Bertan and Jill R. Shellow, also argued she was severely victimized by Ray. Previously a reporter for Courthouse News, he has appeared as a guest on NewsNation, NBC, MSNBC, CBS's "Inside Edition," BBC, NPR, PBS, Sky News, and other networks. The in-depth look at the shocking sex cult has gripped viewers. Larry Ray has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for using manipulation to extort millions from his victims. 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 still love her, I dont care what shes done, Cynthia told the outlet. A former Sarah Lawrence College student who fell under the control of convicted predator Larry Ray admitted on Wednesday to conspiring to launder money made from his sex-trafficking scheme. A woman who referred to herself as Sarah Lawrence 'cult leader' Larry Ray's 'wife' and lived with him and his co-accused, 'lieutenant' Isabella Pollok, has told jurors how her 'romantic . Larry Ray was sentenced to 60 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes involving his daughter and friends. Thats because it meticulously charts the way Larry Ray began an abusive cult shortly after moving into his daughters dorm at Sarah Lawrence College, just not to be caught for nearly a decade. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Hes a degenerate.. . The state has a near-total abortion ban, and now activists and GOP officials are fighting an exemption for physician-defined medical emergencies. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Born Lawrence Grecco, the former US Air Force troop moved into his daughter, Talias, college dorm in 2010. Topic (s): Violent Crime Human Trafficking Component (s): Drury testified that she made $2.5 million through four years of coerced sex work and gave all of her earnings to Ray. : Who are Sally McNeils kids John and Shantina in Killer Sally documentary? Have a tip or story idea? Then, in August of last year, she agreed to a plea deal. There are no winners in this case, her attorneys said after the hearing. In an interview, Polloks mother told The Daily Beast she believed her daughter had been truly brainwashed. This story has been shared 104,452 times. Former sex trafficking prosecutor Mitchell Epner, who is now a partner at the firm Rottenberg Lipman Rich PC, believed the judge walked an appropriate line of punishment. He then dumped cold water on her and choked her with a plastic bag and pillow, Drury testified. AUSA's first line:"On Oct. 16, 2018, Lawrence Ray went to a midtown motel. What I want is to see her heal, process, move on and live a good, happy life, Drury wrote in a letter to the judge before sentencing. Will others follow? Seeking a judges mercy, Polloks lawyers told a federal judge that she has now broken free from Rays cult and she now views her time spent under his thrall as the existence of a broken automaton., This prosecution reveals four phases of Isabella Polloks life: There is the damaged, lonely Sarah Lawrence College freshman, her attorneysDavid B. Bertan and Jill R. Shellow wrote in a 10-page letter. The Government does not dispute that the defendant also suffered at Rays hands, federal prosecutors wrote in the submission. : Spooky Friday 13 true crime stories thatll keep you up at night. Liman, an even-keeled force throughout Rays trial, acknowledged the control Ray exercised over Pollok, but he never lost sight of the fact that she was a key instrument of Rays manipulation. She was reportedly best friends with Talia, the daughter of prime accused Lawrence 'Larry' Ray. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. Even the government had once described Pollok as a victim. I do not blame her for any of this, any of what happened, or even the things she said and did to me. Polloks defense attorneys described a young college sophomore with a turbulent home life when Ray, then the 54-year-old father of Polloks roommate and best friend, moved into her dorm room and went to work on his awed protg.. The three-part series, premiering on February 9, gives Ray's victims a platform to speak out about Ray's decade of abuse. 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. Your crime was an extremely serious one,Mr Liman told her, according to Law and Crime. Lawrence convinced me that Claudia, Santos, Yali, Felicia and Dan poisoned me and were constantly trying to hurt me, just as he convinced them that they were doing these things.. Isabella Pollok has been sentenced to 4.5 years in relation to the Sarah Lawrence sex cult case. He was with his trusted lieutenant Isabella Pollok. He began having "therapy" sessions with individuals in order to learn intimate details about them. Rays manipulation of Isabella was different in kind from the other student-victims because among other things he had made her his lover, Polloks lawyers wrote. Social media users have asked themselves just how Ray was able to pull off the unthinkable. Offers may be subject to change without notice. We've received your submission. Ray convinced them to share intimate information about themselves and alienated a number of them from their parents, arguing that they were broken and that he could fix them, charging documents revealed. This story has been shared 126,899 times. Rays victims Santos Rosario, Dan Levin and Claudia Drury. In her letter to the judge, Pollok blamed Ray for driving her to that point. Isabella Pollok, one of the Sarah Lawrence students who fell under the influence of Lawrence V. Ray, pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money. Alleged @SarahLawrence College sex manipulator, extortionist Larry Ray had a co-conspirator. It caused immense harm to its victims, destroying lives in the process.. A co-conspirator of "cult" sex trafficker Larry Ray has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. I deeply regret it. . By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Per the New York Post, on Sept. 7, 2022, Isabella pled guilty to one conspiracy count, which looks like the result of a plea deal. Pollok, 31, who graduated from the Westchester County school where Ray met most of his victims, faced up to five years in prison. . He is twice her age, Cynthia told The Daily Beast in September 2022. The prediction came to pass. Levin questioned his sexuality. Pollok's lawyers wrote a letter to the case's judge where they said that she was also a victim of Ray's "cult." She later added: "I know I committed serious crimes and I fully accept responsibility for my actions. Culture Interview True Crime TV Hulu. These acts were committed because she was brainwashed by Ray, he said. The truth is she is a victim, albeit in a slightly different way, Bertan said. His co-counsel Jill R. Shellow struck a similar note. Pollok, 31, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering, avoiding a trial. How Pollok describes her childhood difficulties remains hidden under redactions, but her attorneys describe it as one of abuse and neglect.. In Defense of the Talkative Trump Grand Juror. In federal court, people awaiting sentencing commonly write emotional pleas to the presiding judge seeking leniency, but Polloks overture stands apart: She addressed two separate letters to the judge and prosecutors. Larry Ray was sentenced to 60 years in prison for a decades-long abuse scheme against Sarah Lawrence College students. I did what they said I did.. "They were there or a woman Ray had "forced into a life of prostitution," she says. Now former Sarah Lawrence student Isabella Pollok, who according to her family was a victim of Ray's, is charged with one count each of extortion conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy . Polloks defense team said. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. He used violence, psychological abuse and sexual coercion to control several students over a decade-long period. Larry Ray arrived in a federal courtroom Tuesday wearing the standard khaki shirt and pants issued to inmates awaiting trial. As damning as Polloks participation in Rays horrific abuse was, the sentencing hearing hardly provided the sense of clear moral victory felt after Rays sentence was announced. Drury questioned her self-image. 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 . She shared that Ray's house gave the appearance of hoarders with crap all over the place.. In case youve been out of the loop, Isabella pleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2022, to one count of conspiracy of laundering money, in connection to Rays crimes of extortion, money laundering, sex trafficking, and more. (Photo via DOJ). A Florida bill takes a ridiculous GOP argument to the extreme, aiming to eliminate the Democratic Party for its ancient ties to white supremacy. in January to 60 years behind bars on a number of charges including extortion, sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Claudia Drury's Harrowing Cult Story Was Documented in 'Stolen Youth' Where Is She Now? It was back in the fall of 2010 when 19-year-old Isabella first came across 50-year-old Larry as her best friend and roommate Talia Rays father, only for their bond to soon evolve into much more. 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 . By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Victim and accomplice. Documents obtained by Law And Crime claim that Pollock was indicted in Rays case around January 2021 on charges of knowingly committing extortion together through wrongful use of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear.. Thanks for contacting us. Like most parents, Cynthia Pollok is standing by her daughter's side through her current legal struggles. 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. A former Sarah Lawrence sex cult member who prosecutors say fell under the spell of mastermind Larry Ray has been sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison.. Isabell Pollok, 31, pleaded guilty in . {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. But he said that, but for Pollok, this scheme would not have succeeded the way that it did.. I know this request comes late. It lasted a long time. Interestingly, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mollie Bracewell told the judge that, had the case gone to trial, prosecutors were prepared to introduce slew of evidence against Isabella ranging from financial ledgers to witness testimony. After a decade under Rays thumb, Pollok knew instinctively what he wanted her to do, Bertan said. 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. Ray referred to Felicia Rosario as his "wife," though they were never married. Short of murder, there is nothing she could do to dissuade me from loving her.". 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. Santos recalls how reclusive Pollok, reeling from a breakup, seemed "vibrant . 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. Isabella Pollok was Larry Rays daughters best friend. The city threw out a Democratic mayor for the first time in decades. She had knowingly disguised illegal sex trafficking proceeds of $2.5m after Ray had forced former student Claudia Durey into prostitution, the court heard. I wish I had been able to view the world then as I do now. But she was no less a victim.. Ray recorded false confessions from his other victims, which he kept as blackmail material. The former VP has an extremely narrow path to viability in 2024. With the help and love of others I have freed myself from the past. They had written a letter to the federal judge in the case in the weeks leading up to her sentencing pleading for leniency. Isabella Pollok, the former best friend of daughter Talia Ray, was a young student when Larry Ray started living in her communal dorm Slonim Woods 9 and sleeping in her room. Pollok also wrote letters to the judge and prosecutors in her case. A comprehensive new government study concludes that the illness probably wasnt caused by foreign adversaries. According to reports, Isabella once forced a brother-sister duo to wear diapers around her partners Manhattan apartment, and she further had a hand in inflicting other forms of torture on different victims. Additionally, many have long wondered how Isabellas family has been impacted by the news. Isabella Pollok, a former Sarah Lawrence College student who fell under the influence of sex cult leader Larry Ray was sentenced to more than four years in prison Wednesday for conspiring with the fiend as he carried out the abuse of a group of young people. "Isabella finally started to realize that being in Larry's corner is not going to help her," Cyndi said regarding the plea deal. The government sees Pollok as Rays lieutenant, but Polloks lawyers see her as his once-brainwashed victim. Federal prosecutors, who had previously described 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. Terms of Service apply. This trust became a sort of blind faith. Although Isabella will likely face jail time for her crimes, many people are wondering why Cynthia and Isabellas other family members didnt intervene from the beginning. It was up to Judge Lewis Liman to decide how much her psychological duress contributed to her participation in sadistic crimes. Meanwhile, Lawrence "Larry" Ray, 63, the leader of the Sarah Lawrence sex cult, learned his fate in a New York courtroom last month. Isabella Pollok and Felicia Rosario, both of whom . She was also Rays servant and sex partner, and, as prosecutors said in court in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, his right hand in a decade-long criminal enterprise. Pollok apologised through tears at the sentencing, saying that her former mentor had controlled me in ways I cannot understand, Law and Crime reported. I know I committed serious crimes and I fully accept responsibility for my actions. 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.. Referring to the governments proposed five-year sentence, he added: To me, that sentence is vengeance, not justice.. However, Cynthia shared that she made attempts to remove Isabella from the situation but was threatened by Ray. 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. Shed initially pleaded not guilty. In 2010, Ray allegedly recruited Pollok to help operate a campus sex cult after moving into his daughters dormitory at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The Californians have been booted from Frogmore Cottage because the king (or the character invented by the U.K. press) has had enough of their abuse. King Charles Evicts Harry and Meghan From House They Dont Live In. A recording of the night of terror was played to the jury at Rays trial. Have a tip or story idea? RAY's co-defendant Isabella Pollok is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. It wasnt until witnessing this that I began to accept just how susceptible I was to being manipulated, she wrote. Im her mother, I love her. I believe that he specifically encouraged, groomed and conditioned callousness and meanness into her personality, while making her not only believe but know, with conviction, that her reactions were the appropriate and kind one.. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Isabella Pollok was both a victim and lieutenant of cult mastermind Larry Rays reign of terror over students at the elite New York liberal arts college, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. It's the place where her step-grandfather Gordon Ray resides and the place she'd first started calling home around 2014 after landing a job at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines. She had problems that he could help her talk through. Isabella did whatever Ray directed.. On that evening, Pollok had been recording Ray as he stripped Drury naked, tied her to a chair, doused her with water and tried suffocating her with a plastic bag. to a single count of conspiracy in September. Pollok is currently being investigated as Ray's co-defendant, and prosecutors previously described her as Ray's "trusted lieutenant," per the New York Times. The second-largest retail pharmacy chain wont buck Republican attorneys general. Im now asking for a second chance.. In September 2022, Isabella Pollok, who was one of Talia's classmates and named as a co-conspirator with Larry Ray, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. Therefore, the 65-year-old was hopeful about seeing her daughter during her trial proceedings, only for her to ultimately end up pleading guilty to a single count of money laundering in September 2022. On Wednesday in Manhattan, a judge sentenced Isabella Pollok to more than four years in prison, after Pollok pleaded guilty for her role in helping Larry Ray exploit a group of . Isabella Pollok was Larry Ray 's daughter's best friend. So now, if you wish to learn more about the one individual to have undeniably helped him manipulate and control victims throughout his lieutenant, Isabella Pollok weve got you covered. According to prosecutors, Polloks phone contained folders for each of Rays victims containing compromising material that could be used against them if they strayed from Ray. And as it turns out, he had help from Sarah Lawrence college student Isabella Pollok. There is the awed protg. She fetched a plastic bag for Ray to torture Drury, and a sex toy to aid in the public humiliation of another former roommate. In March 2021, Pollok was charged with racketeering, extortion and sex trafficking conspiracies, to which she pleaded not guilty at the time. Ray coerced his acolytes into falsely confessing these crimes, which he compulsively recorded in audio and video tapes, evidence showed. Over the next decade, more young adults joined and left the cult . Isabella Pollok was sentenced to four years in prison for. A co-conspirator of cult sex trafficker Larry Ray has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. With Ray that night, and taping the incident with an audio recording, was Pollok. Pollok, who says that she felt like an outsider even in her own family growing up, struggles to make connections on campus until she meets Ray. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. 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. Donald Trump Jr. I trusted Lawrence more than I trusted myself and in doing so, I betrayed my own sense of right and wrong, she wrote. It involved extreme and sadistic violence and it was sophisticated, Liman added. "Ray then became her lover and convinced her of the need to explore her sexuality. Hulu's 'Stolen Youth' Details a Cult at Sarah Lawrence College Where Is the Man Behind It? Prosecutors identified Pollok as the woman who helped Ray torment Drury during a long night of torture at Manhattans Gregory Hotel in 2018. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Pollok faces a maximum five-year sentence following her guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy. Vish Burra, the congressmans director of operations, met me on Staten Island to explain the plan to make Santos president? It runs through Iowa following the course set by Huckabee, Santorum, and Cruz. Pollok will have to serve a term of three years supervised release after she gets out of prison. She said: "I'm 19, I was having a lot of difficulty making sense of things, I wasn't in a good place. At Sarah Lawrence in 2010, Pollok, then a 19-year-old sophomore, met Larry Ray, her housemate's 50-year-old father. And a chatbot is not a human. During her trial, Isabelle admitted to prosecutors that Talia and Ray had become her lifeline at Sarah Lawrence after Polloks tough childhood in Texas. Have a tip we should know? MANHATTAN, NEWYORK CITY: Isabella Pollok, an ex-student of Sarah Lawrence College has admitted to aiding the father of a former classmate in laundering funds earned from extortion and pimping out young women he met after moving into their college dorm. He was also said to have extorted money from their families and made some of them take part in forced labor and prostitution. 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. Legal documents show that Larry Ray, daughter Talia, Isabella and others were still living together in 2017. In 2020, the story led to charges against Ray and his co-conspirator Isabella Pollok one of those long-ago sophomores and Talia's best friend who collected the cash and was Ray's lieutenant. 2024 Polls Show DeSantis Cant Easily Knock Out Trump. . Assistant US Attorney Mollie Bracewell told Liman that prosecutors would have introduced a host of evidence if the case had gone to trial, including witness testimony and financial records, including ledgers that were recovered from Pollok. "Ray groomed Isabella, at first by listening and paying attention to her," Polloks attorneys wrote. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023. At the time her seven housemates, including Pollok, didn't see the arrangement as an issuebut things took a dark turn. , 31, in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Thursday afternoon. Now that Rays fate has been sealed by the justice system, folks are wondering what consequences Isabella will also face. He called a significant sentence of imprisonment necessary, and his sentence fell just shy of the 5-year maximum sentence under her count of conviction. Roberta tells [what] happened at Larry Ray's co-conspirator Isabella Pollok's sentencing hearing." *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. Plays Incompetent Willy Wonka at CPAC. 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. Isabella Pollok, in a government exhibit. Ray had pulled Polloks hair, hit her, and locked her outside in the cold of winter. 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. "Witness interviews and evidence recovered during the investigation show parallels between the defendant's experience and that of the victims in this case.". The same year, Ray moved in with his daughter Talia, and her other roommates including Pollok. According to The Cut, Pollok "seemed to take comfort" in Ray's company when he moved in as she had recently had a breakup. He is the host of Law&Crime podcast "Objections: with Adam Klasfeld.". Last month, a federal judge sentenced Ray to 60 years in prison for psychologically, sexually, and physically abusing this young cohort of devotees he met after moving into his daughters dorm at Sarah Lawrence College.