Self-Help Guru, James A. Ray Sentenced to Prison

Hemera/Thinkstock(CAMP VERDE, Ariz.) -- An Arizona judge Friday sentenced the self-help guru found responsible for the deaths of three followers in a sweat lodge ceremony gone awry.

The Yavapai County Superior Court judge handed James A. Ray -- who was facing a maximum nine years in prison -- three two-year sentences, which will run concurrently, The New York Times reports. Ray also must pay over $57,000 in restitution.

In June Ray, a motivational speaker and author, was found guilty of negligent homicide in the deaths of Kirby Brown, 38; James Shore, 40; and Liz Neuman, 49.

In 2009, Kirby, Shore and Neuman died as a result of the extreme heat while participating in a ceremony, planned for two hours, in which Ray ignored signs of illness in some followers.

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