In a nearly 10-year plot, a New York father was convicted Wednesday of moving into his daughter’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College and abusing students there.
Extortion, sex trafficking, forced labour, money laundering, and other counts were discovered against Lawrence Ray, 62.
Ray faced the Manhattan jury with his arms at his sides as the panel rendered guilty verdicts on all 15 charges, according to NBC New York.
According to the indictment, he began targeting students when he and his daughter moved into her on-campus residence with her roommates in 2010, when they were sophomores.
According to prosecutors, Ray pretended to be a father figure and initiated “therapy” sessions with several of the pupils, ostensibly to assist them cope with their psychological issues.
After becoming persuaded that she had poisoned Ray, one lady stated that she became a sex worker in order to pay restitution to him. Ray received $2.5 million from her over four years in increments ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 each week, according to her.
Several students testified that they were sucked into Ray’s world as he told them stories about his prior power in New York City politics, including his part in sabotaging former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik’s career after being the best man at his wedding years before.
Ray was a key actor in the corruption probe that thwarted Kerik’s candidacy to lead the US Department of Homeland Security.
In the summer of 2011, several of the students decided to live with Ray in his one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, when his dark side revealed as he began to allege that they had poisoned and otherwise damaged him.
They said that in order to make apologies, they did whatever he wanted, including handing him money. One individual claimed to have given Ray more than $100,000.
Ray “terrorised” and “tortured” the gang, according to Damian Williams, the US attorney for Southern New York.
“Let me be really clear about something. Larry Ray is a scavenger. An wicked man who committed evil acts. The verdict today brings him to justice for the first time “In a statement, Williams said.
The date for his sentencing, at which he might face life in prison, has been scheduled for Sept. 16.
Ray was remanded to detention after the guilty verdict was handed out on Wednesday, where he has remained since his arrest in 2020.
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