Keith Raniere's attorneys say the NXIVM co-founder has been labeled "high risk" of testing positive for COVID-19.

Raniere, once known as Vanguard by his followers, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where at least one inmate has tested positive for the virus.

According to documents filed March 26, Raniere's attorneys were told by the Federal Public Defenders Office that the Bureau of Prisons now considers Raniere to be "high risk" for serious illness from COVID-19. The letter, addressed to federal judge Nicholas Garaufis, indicates Raniere underwent a medical exam on March 17 but as of March 23, had not received a follow-up exam.

Judge Garaufis has ordered the Bureau of Prisons to turn over Raniere's medical records to his attorneys.

It isn't immediately clear why Raniere, 59, would be deemed "high risk." The CDC considers people to be "high risk" if they are over 65 years old, live in a nursing home, have pre-existing conditions, or are pregnant.

Raniere was found guilty on a number of charges, including sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy, in June 2019. The government says he ran a "sex cult" in the Capital Region and elsewhere. Raniere is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2020.