Founder of SF 'Orgasmic Meditation' Company Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison

Rachel Cherwitz, former head of sales, also sentenced to 78 months for forced labor conspiracy spanning over a decade.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:08pm by Ben Kaplan

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Nicole Daedone, the founder and former CEO of OneTaste, a San Francisco-based sexual wellness company, was sentenced to 9 years in prison for her role in a forced labor conspiracy that prosecutors said spanned more than a decade. Rachel Cherwitz, the company's former head of sales, was also sentenced to 78 months. Both were convicted in June 2025 after a five-week federal trial.

Why it matters

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 conduct caused trauma 'in ways that extend beyond lost wages or long hours,' according to the U.S. Attorney.

The details

Prosecutors said that from about 2006 to 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz recruited young women seeking healing and personal growth, then subjected them to 'abusive and manipulative tactics' designed to make them emotionally and psychologically dependent on the organization. Those tactics included encouraging members to take on debt to pay for courses, monitoring them in communal living environments, collecting sensitive personal information and depriving them of sleep. Eventually, individuals that became indebted and loyal were directed by the defendants to work long hours, often seven days a week, for little or no pay, including both manual work and sexual services performed for the company's benefit.

  • Daedone and Cherwitz were convicted in June 2025 after a five-week federal trial.
  • Daedone was sentenced on March 31, 2026 to 9 years in prison.
  • Cherwitz was sentenced on March 31, 2026 to 78 months in prison.

The players

Nicole Daedone

The 58-year-old founder and former CEO of OneTaste, a San Francisco-based sexual wellness company, who was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Rachel Cherwitz

The 45-year-old former head of sales at OneTaste, who was sentenced to 78 months in prison.

OneTaste

A San Francisco-based sexual wellness company founded in 2004 that promoted itself as offering courses centered on 'orgasmic meditation,' or OM, a practice involving genital stimulation.

Joseph Nocella Jr.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York who said the 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.'

James Barnacle

The assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office who said 'Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz preyed on vulnerable women, coercing them into a calculated forced labor conspiracy.'

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What they’re saying

“'Coercion disguised as wellness or empowerment is still exploitation and it is a crime that causes harm to vulnerable victims,'”

— Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York

“'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.'”

— James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow Nicole Daedone to remain free on bail while she appeals her conviction.

The takeaway

This case highlights the dangers of 'wellness' companies that use coercive tactics to exploit vulnerable individuals, underscoring the need for stronger regulation and oversight in the self-improvement industry to protect consumers from financial and psychological harm.