Actor Allison Mack, who starred on the hit series Smallville, has secured an early release from prison. She has served two years of a three-year sentence for her role in the NXIVM Cult case.
Why Was Allison Mack Released Early?
Deadline was the first to report that Mack was released early. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Mack was quietly released on Monday, July 3, 2023.
No details have been given regarding why Mack was released early, but it is not uncommon for non-violent offenders to be allowed to leave prison once most of their sentence has been served. This is particularly true in cases, like Mack’s, where the defendant cooperated with prosecutors and pled guilty in order to secure testimony against another defendant.
Mack was originally arrested by the FBI in 2018 on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking. Mack was accused of using her celebrity status to recruit women into the NXIVM cult by pretending to be affiliated with a female mentorship group. In truth, the organization was part of a scheme to lure women into sexual slavery to the cult’s leader, Keith Raniere.
Prosecutors charged that Mack was a willing participant in Raniere’s scam, and received financial benefits and other favors in exchange for her help. It has been speculated, however, that Mack may have been brainwashed like many other women in the NXIVM cult and may not have been entirely aware of her actions.
In any case, Mack cooperated with the FBI after her arrest. She secured evidence of Raniere’s crimes, including a recording in which Raniere detailed a ceremony in which his recruits were branded against their will. This assistance — coupled with a guilty plea on the charges she faced — earned Mack a lighter sentence than other high-ranking NXIVM leaders.
While Mack may be out of prison, she is far from home free. Mack is one of several NXIVM leaders who was named in a pending federal lawsuit filed by over 80 former cult members in 2020.
