Lawrence "Larry" Ray was convicted in April 2022 on 15 federal counts — including sex trafficking, extortion and racketeering — for psychologically, physically and sexually abusing a group of Sarah Lawrence students after moving into his daughter’s dorm. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Jan. 20, 2023, and ordered to forfeit over $2.4 million. Reporting and survivor testimony describe systematic tactics of manipulation, coerced confessions and forced prostitution. Ray maintains his innocence and said in a 2025 prison interview he plans to appeal.
Where Is Larry Ray Now? Inside the Sarah Lawrence 'Cult' Leader’s Conviction and Life Behind Bars
Courtesy of Hulu Lawrence 'Larry' Ray in Hulu's 'Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence'.
Lawrence "Larry" Ray — also known as Lawrence Grecco — was convicted in April 2022 on 15 federal counts, including sex trafficking, extortion and racketeering conspiracy, for abusing and manipulating a group of Sarah Lawrence College students after moving into his daughter’s dorm room. He was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2023, to 60 years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit more than $2.4 million.
The Conviction and Sentence
Federal prosecutors detailed a decade-long pattern of psychological, physical and sexual abuse that spanned multiple states. Jurors found that Ray coerced victims into prostitution, forced false confessions, recorded sexual encounters and used threats to control and profit from his victims. At sentencing, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Ray "a predator" whose conduct caused "brutal and lifelong harm." The court also imposed a lifetime of supervised release.
HONS/AP/Shutterstock Lawrence 'Larry' Ray in an undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's office.
How He Gained Influence
Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Ray claimed various business and intelligence connections over the years. Reporting shows he worked in nightlife and consulting roles, briefly enlisted in the Air Force and cultivated ties with law-enforcement and political figures. He also made unverified claims about working for the CIA. Those relationships and his charismatic style helped him ingratiate himself with young college students and others.
Pattern of Manipulation and Abuse
Victims and reporting describe a systematic approach: "love‑bombing" to build trust, sleep deprivation and isolation, threats about powerful people, coerced confessions and the use of recorded sexual encounters as blackmail. Some victims were forced into prostitution or financially exploited. The scheme was exposed in investigative reporting that prompted a criminal probe and later inspired podcasts and documentaries, including the Hulu series Stolen Youth and the documentary Devil on Campus.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Geoffrey Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announces the indictment against Lawrence 'Larry' Ray on Feb. 11, 2020, in N.Y.C.
Co-Conspirators and Legal Fallout
One former associate, Isabella Pollok, was charged as a co-conspirator and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering; she was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Several victims endured years of control before escaping; others testified at trial, helping secure the convictions.
Earlier Legal Troubles and Notable Incidents
Ray’s history includes securities-related charges (resulting in probation), lengthy custody battles in which a forensic examiner found he coached his daughters, and allegations of domestic abuse that sometimes were not prosecuted when accusers declined to press charges. In 2015, he was violently assaulted by a contractor, Frank DiTommaso, in an attack that video later captured; DiTommaso later pleaded to a lesser charge. Ray also cooperated with investigators in other probes at times, complicating the public record of his activities.
Stephanie Keith/Getty An exterior view of Sarah Lawrence College is seen on Feb. 12, 2020, in Bronxville, New York.
Mental Health Findings
Defense and forensic evaluations described Ray as manipulative, charismatic and prone to elaborate fabrications. A defense report cited traits consistent with histrionic and narcissistic personality disorders and suggested elements of pathological lying; a forensic examiner called him "calculating, manipulative and hostile."
Where He Is Now
Ray is serving a 60-year federal sentence after his Jan. 20, 2023, sentencing. The court ordered forfeiture of more than $2.4 million and lifetime supervised release following imprisonment. In a February 2025 interview conducted from prison, Ray again declared his innocence and said he planned to appeal; he also claimed to have been attacked behind bars after a guard allegedly circulated a rumor about him.
Support and Resources
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for confidential support and resources.
Sources: Investigative reporting and federal court records as summarized in major outlets and documentary coverage of the case.
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