If it were not for Lawrence Ray's presence at Sarah Lawrence, Isabella would not be here. Topic (s): Violent Crime Human Trafficking Component (s): This trust became a sort of blind faith. 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.. RAY's co-defendant Isabella Pollok is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. For the longest time I believed that at nineteen years old, I was an adult and therefore in complete control of my mindset, Pollok told him. When I started at Sarah Lawrence College in 2009, I saw it as opportunity to escape all the hardships in my life, Pollok wrote to the three Assistant U.S. Culture Interview True Crime TV Hulu. 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 . Isabella Pollok has been sentenced to 4.5 years in relation to the Sarah Lawrence sex cult case. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Born Lawrence Grecco, the former US Air Force troop moved into his daughter, Talias, college dorm in 2010. 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. She shared that Ray's house gave the appearance of hoarders with crap all over the place.. Its all about not looking soft on crime. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Sarah Lawrence sex cult leader sentenced to 60 years in prison, Sarah Lawrence sex cult fiend to face sentencing today, Sarah Lawrence sex-cult leaders top lieutenant faces 5 years after admitting guilt, Jury finds Larry Ray guilty on all counts in Sarah Lawrence sex cult trial. It involved extreme and sadistic violence and it was sophisticated, Liman added. 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. Terms of Service apply. And as it turns out, he had help from Sarah Lawrence college student Isabella Pollok. 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. A U.S. District Court judge handed down the sentence to Isabella Pollok, 31, in a. A comprehensive new government study concludes that the illness probably wasnt caused by foreign adversaries. With Ray that night, and taping the incident with an audio recording, was Pollok. According to investigators, Ray had enlisted Pollok to join the criminal scheme and to work on behalf of the [e]nterprise, investigators wrote in court documents. Thats very different from saying, I will.'. Larry Ray has been held in a Brooklyn jail since his arrest. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Despite the hype about Ron DeSantis surging past Donald Trump, both Republicans look unusually strong at this early stage of the presidential race. She told prosecutors that she came to see the Ray family as a lifeline. It was in that institution, some 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan, that Pollok had met Larry Ray as a college sophomore in the autumn of 2010. Additionally, many have long wondered how Isabellas family has been impacted by the news. Parents and patients are now refuting her key claims. I'm now asking for a second chance.". She does not deserve to go to jail.. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Pollok faces a maximum five-year sentence following her guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy. 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. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2023. 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. A U.S. District Court judge handed down the sentence to. Prosecutors identified Pollok as the woman who helped Ray torment Drury during a long night of torture at Manhattans Gregory Hotel in 2018. This story has been shared 126,899 times. Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence examines the crimes of Larry Ray and the emotional, physical and sexual abuse he carried out on his daughter Talia's friends at the elite liberal arts college in New York from 2010. 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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. It sparked a war of words that quickly got personal. It Sure Doesnt Seem Like Havana Syndrome Is Russias Fault. Pollok, 31, pleaded guilty to a single count in September for participating in a money laundering conspiracy with Ray, who raked in millions of dollars by forcing one of his victims into prostitution for a number of years. Pollok was identified by prosecutors as being present in a Manhattan hotel room when Ray tortured Durey, stripping her and suffocating her with a plastic bag, Law and Crime reported. 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 Earlier in the proceedings, Judge Liman remarked that Pollok didnt acknowledge the pain she caused her friends, and Polloks lawyers said she would do so in her remarks. Executive Producers Of Peacocks Sex, Lies And The College Cult On Sarah Lawrence Cult Leader Larry Ray, A co-conspirator of cult sex trafficker. The outlet shares that Isabella will remain free until her sentencing date on Feb. 22, 2023. 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. At the Manhattan federal courthouse on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Lewis Liman said Polloks sophisticated scheme had involvedextreme and sadistic violence. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. Polloks account mirrors that of Rays victims like Drury, Daniel Levin, Santos Rosario, and his siblings Felicia and Yalitza Rosario. But he said that, but for Pollok, this scheme would not have succeeded the way that it did.. Pollok wrote: "I trusted Lawrence more than I trusted myself and in doing so, I betrayed my own sense of right and wrong.". She told the judge that "as part of the conspiracy, she took part in financial transactions 'generated by illegal activity' in the hopes of hiding the source and ownership of the cash," the Post writes. . Short of murder, there is nothing she could do to dissuade me from loving her.". 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In April 2022 he was found guilty on all counts, and on January 20, 2023 he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, violent crime in aid of racketeering, extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, tax evasion and money laundering offenses. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Shed initially pleaded not guilty. One such person is Isabella Pollok, one of the students who encountered Ray and became his alleged "lieutenant" in a "cult" he made at Sarah Lawrence. The former Sarah Lawrence College student pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in September. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The same year, Ray moved in with his daughter Talia, and her other roommates including Pollok. For the next decade, he exploited, terrorized, and tortured Talias friends through psychological abuse and threats, according to US attorney Damian Williams. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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.. I am not the same person who met [Larry] Ray over 10 years ago. 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. 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. It caused immense harm to its victims, destroying lives in the process.. Attorneys Danielle Sassoon, Mollie Bracewell, and Lindsey Keenan are in charge of the prosecution. His co-counsel Jill R. Shellow struck a similar note. I will live with the guilt forever., Unlike Ray, who had no family or friends in the courtroom gallery when his sentence was read, Polloks boyfriend sat a few rows behind her, as did her brother and aunt, who both flew in from Texas. If it were not for Lawrence Rays presence at Sarah Lawrence, Isabella would not be here. In 2010, Isabella Pollok was 19-year-old and a student at Sarah Lawrence College. In other news, What is happening on TikTok on March 3rd 2023? 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 . Have something to tell us about this article? 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. Pollok will remain free on bail until her sentencing date. Isabella Pollok and Felicia Rosario, both of whom . Assistant U.S. Pollok admitted that she laundered the loot, and a jury heard that she participated in what prosecutors called Drurys long night of torture.. 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. 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.. This story has been shared 126,899 times. 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. After a decade under Rays thumb, Pollok knew instinctively what he wanted her to do, Bertan said. Ray was arrested in February 2020 and in April 2022, following a four-week trial, he was convicted on several counts including sex trafficking, extortion and forced labor. She had hoped to change that next month, when Isabella's trial was set to start. And while Isabella has taken some responsibility for her role concerning the sex cult, Cynthia believes that all the fault lies with Ray. George Santoss Nasty Twitter Battle With Fellow New York Republicans. He then dumped cold water on her and choked her with a plastic bag and pillow, Drury testified. She could receive up to five years in federal prison. It runs through Iowa following the course set by Huckabee, Santorum, and Cruz. Instead, on September 7, 2022, Isabella changed her plea from not guilty to guilty to a single count of conspiracy to launder money by admitting she took part in transactions involving extorted funds. Florida Republican Wants to Cancel Democrats Over Slavery. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Nearby, Felicia and Yalitza Rosario, two of Rays victims, watched quietly. There were moments over the years when you could have walked away or at least shown some mercy, Liman said to Pollok. 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 . 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 prosecutors of serving as the man . 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. All had come to see Larry Ray as a man whose advice they trusted with personal difficulties and insecurities. in January to 60 years behind bars on a number of charges including extortion, sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He is the host of Law&Crime podcast "Objections: with Adam Klasfeld.". Here is everything that viewers need to know about Pollok and where she is now. A federal judge has found sufficient evidence to name Sarah Lawrence 'cult leader' Larry Ray's daughter, Talia, as a co-conspirator along with his so-called lieutenant and co-accused Isabella . . 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.. She fetched a plastic bag for Ray to torture Drury, and a sex toy to aid in the public humiliation of another former roommate. He is twice her age, Cynthia told The Daily Beast in September 2022. 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.. Pollok taunted Drury during the torture session, calling her a faker and telling her the water was room temperature, she testified. Ms. DeSantis Promises Florida Will Control Disney Content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Biden Chooses Crime Messaging Over D.C. Home Rule. Now that Isabella is getting ready to face the music, Cynthia has pledged to stand by her side. Both Pollok and her mother maintain the student was one of Rays many victims through manipulation. At the sentencing Wednesday, Assistant US Attorney Lindsey Keenan said Pollok acted with initiative and out of her own volition while aiding Ray. . Unfortunately, Cynthia said that her effort to bring Isabella home was unsuccessful after Ray threatened to call the police and accused Cynthia of trespassing while chasing her away. Walgreens Wont Sell Abortion Pills in Red States Even Where Its Legal. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! : Spooky Friday 13 true crime stories thatll keep you up at night. Intro- Robert. 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. This follows Isabella's original charges of racketeering, extortion, and sex trafficking conspiracies. According to reports, Isabella once forced a brother-sister duo to wear, around her partners Manhattan apartment, and she further had a hand in inflicting other forms of torture on different victims.