Ceremony leader sentenced to 2 years in sweat lodge deaths

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The self-help author who led an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony that ended with three deaths was sentenced Friday to two years behind bars.

A judge handed down three two-year prison terms to be served concurrently and ordered James Arthur Ray to pay more than $57,000 in restitution.

“I find that the aggravating circumstance of emotional harm is so strong and such that probation is simply unwarranted in this case,” Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Warren Darrow said.

Authorities immediately took custody of Ray, who will serve his time with the state Department of Corrections.

Ray was convicted on a trio of negligent homicide charges earlier this year in the deaths of Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y.; James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn.

Family members of the three lashed out at Ray earlier Friday while asking the judge to hand down the maximum sentence of nine years in prison. They said they were appalled that Ray continued to deliver self-help messages through the Internet while he faced criminal charges.