(MENAFN- Live Mint) Oren and Tal Alexander, twins, who run a luxury Real estate brokerage, and their brother Alon Alexander have been charged with sex trafficking by federal authorities on December 11, according to an AP report.
A federal indictment unsealed in Manhattan, New York City on December 11. The charges show the three brothers are accused of allegedly luring, drugging and violently raping dozens of women for longer than a decade, the report added.
Besides the federal indictment in NYC , Florida has also filed state charges against two of the brother and another accused for three alleged sexual assaults, as per the report. The three, all reside in Miami, Florida.
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As per federal prosecutors, the Alexander brothers used their wealth and influence to lure, drug and rape women for more than 10 years between 2010 and 2021.
They alleged the brother used“deception, fraud, and coercion” to lure targets to travel with them or attend parties or events, often covering flights, hotels and other expenses. They sometimes even promised a romantic relationship. But the women were drugged and raped by one or more of the brothers and other men before being sent away with luxury goods and concert tickets.
Speaking at a press conference, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams described the crimes as“heinous”.
According to documents, the brothers found their victims on dating app or through networking events at nightclubs and bars. Williams added that they also used party promoters to“source” women.
The women were provided cocaine, GHB and psychedelic mushrooms and even had their drinks unknowingly drugged by the brothers, leaving them unable to fight back or escape.
Further, prosecutors in the Florida sexual assault cases describe the 2016 gang rape of a woman invited for barbecue party to Alon Alexander's Miami apartment, but found no one else apart from Alon, Oren and their relative Ohad Fisherman (presently on the run). Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she was raped in the bedroom despite pleading to be let go.
The second and third Florida incidents occured in October 2017 and October 2021, respectively.
The second incident, in October 2017, involved a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by Oren Alexander at his apartment after drinking a glass of wine that left her feeling weak and unable to control her body, according to prosecutors.
They said the third incident happened in October 2021 and involved a woman who said she was assaulted by Oren Alexander after going back to his residence with friends following dinner.
Williams, the U.S. Attorney in New York, said the three brothers were arrested in Florida on Wednesday and will appear in Miami federal court before being brought to New York.
He declined to say if others also will be charged but urged any other possible victims to come forward.
Meanwhile lawyers for the brothers denied the charges, which include one count of engaging in a sex trafficking conspiracy for each sibling.
“Oren Alexander is innocent,” attorney Susan Necheles wrote in an email.“The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime.”
“My client will be entering a not guilty plea and dealing with these charges in the appropriate forum .. .the courtroom,” responded Isabelle Kirshner, a lawyer for Alon Alexander.
Joel Denaro, a lawyer for Tal Alexander, declined to comment.
The elder brother appeared in Miami federal court Wednesday and will have a detention hearing Friday as prosecutors argue he's a danger to the community and a flight risk. The two other brothers are in state custody and are expected to appear in court Thursday.
Representatives for a number of women who filed lawsuits earlier this year claiming they were violently raped by the brothers welcomed the charges.
“We are glad to hear that there will finally be some measure of accountability for the Alexander brothers and justice for their many victims,” lawyer David Gottlieb wrote on X , formerly Twitter.“We applaud all the survivors who have had the strength and courage to speak up about their unimaginable experiences after years of pain and suffering.”
Tal Alexander, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, first worked as a team under real estate giant Douglas Elliman, listing properties for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Liam Gallagher, and Lindsay Lohan. In 2022, they started a new company called Official.
Alon Alexander, who is Oren's twin brother, attended law school and joined the family's private security business.
(With inputs from AP)
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