Nicole Daedone, founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OneTaste, Inc., was sentenced on Mar. 30 to nine years in prison by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati in Brooklyn federal court for her role in a forced labor conspiracy. Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste’s former Head of Sales, was also sentenced to 78 months in prison for her involvement. Both were convicted by a federal jury in June 2025 following a five-week trial.
The sentencing highlights the legal consequences of coercive practices disguised as wellness programs and underscores efforts to address exploitation within organizations claiming to offer empowerment or healing.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. said, “This case exposed a decade-long scheme in which the defendants used psychological, emotional, and financial coercion to control their victims and extract labor and services for their own benefit. The jury’s verdict and today’s sentences demonstrate that coercion can take many forms—and that those who exploit others through such means will face serious consequences. Coercion disguised as wellness or empowerment is still exploitation and it is a crime that causes harm to vulnerable victims. The defendants’ combination of forced labor with sexual exploitation caused trauma to the victims in ways that extend beyond lost wages or long hours.”
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Office, said: “For decades, Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz preyed on vulnerable women, coercing them into a calculated forced labor conspiracy. These defendants subjected their victims to repeated psychological manipulation and sexual abuse to obtain unpaid or underpaid labor and services for their personal and financial benefit. The FBI is committed to holding accountable those who traffic in human labor and exploit others for profit. We thank the victims for their courage in coming forward.”
OneTaste was established by Daedone in San Francisco in 2004 as a private company promoting itself as a sexually focused wellness education provider offering courses on "orgasmic meditation" (OM) along with other sexual practices for fees at locations including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, and London.
From around 2006 through May 2018, prosecutors say Daedone and Cherwitz coerced young women seeking healing into performing both manual work and sexual acts under threat of termination or ostracism while making them emotionally dependent on OneTaste—including encouraging debt accumulation through expensive courses—according to trial testimony detailed during sentencing.
In addition to prison time imposed on Mar. 30 by Judge Gujarati—a $12 million forfeiture money judgment against Daedone was ordered along with nearly $888 thousand restitution awarded collectively among seven identified victims.
The U.S. Attorney's Office handling this prosecution operates from offices located in Brooklyn and Central Islip according to its official website. The office covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County,and Suffolk County as indicated online, handles federal criminal prosecutions plus civil representation per its website, supports community outreach efforts as reported online,and functions as the designated prosecutor's office for the district according to official information. Breon Peace serves as United States Attorney leading this office as noted online.
Looking ahead,the government signaled continued focus on prosecuting cases involving human trafficking,supporting affected communities,and assisting future victims.
