Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz guilty of forced labor conspiracy. Daedone, the founder and former CEO of OneTaste, Inc., and Cherwitz, the company’s former head of sales, were accused of using coercive tactics to obtain labor and services from OneTaste employees. The trial lasted five weeks under United States District Judge Diane Gujarati. Both defendants could face up to 20 years in prison upon sentencing.
The announcement was made by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, alongside Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI’s New York Field Office.
“The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants’ direction. It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.”
“Today’s verdict sends a clear message—controlling your labor force by relying on lies, manipulation, and abuse is a crime. The victims in this case were offered sexual empowerment and wellness as a pathway to healing past trauma but instead received various forms of abuse and manipulation on behalf of Daedone and Cherwitz for the financial benefit of OneTaste,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
Founded by Daedone in 2004, OneTaste operated out of San Francisco with branches in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, and London. The company marketed itself as a sexually focused wellness education firm offering classes on “orgasmic meditation” (OM), which involved genital stroking sessions. Revenue was generated through courses and events promoting sexual practices.
Between 2006 and May 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz coerced young women seeking healing into performing labor—both manual and sexual—for their benefit. They employed manipulative strategies like encouraging debt accumulation for expensive courses while subjecting members to surveillance in communal homes. Sensitive information about prior traumas was collected while depriving members of sleep.
Daedone sold OneTaste in 2017 for $12 million after years of exploiting unpaid or underpaid labor.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Kaitlin T. Farrell, Nina C. Gupta, Sean Michael Fern with Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Marlane Bosler assisting.
Nicole Daedone is aged 57 from New York City; Rachel Cherwitz is aged 44 from Philo, California.
