Alexander brothers to remain in federal custody on sex trafficking, rape charges
Prominent real estate broker Oren Alexander and his twin brother Alon will remain in custody following their initial federal court appearance in Miami on Friday.
The brothers had sought bond on charges of sex trafficking and gang rape. But federal prosecutors argued that they were a flight risk and a danger to the community. Southern District of Florida Judge Ellen D' Angelo set a Dec. 30 detention hearing.
The judge read each brother the charges they faced and informed them of their rights.
Last week, another judge in Miami rejected a $115 million bail package proposed by their older brother Tal Alexander that would have allowed all three men who are prominent in luxury real estate in Florida and New York to be released pending trial in New York City.
The brothers were charged in New York with luring, drugging and violently raping dozens of women over more than a decade. Alon and Oren Alexander also face state charges in Florida stemming from three alleged sexual assaults.
All three Alexander brothers will remain in custody in Florida. They have denied the allegations, saying through their attorneys that any sex was consensual.
Ohad Fisherman, a friend of the Alexanders named in the Florida state charges and accused of taking part in a gang rape, was set to be released on bond this Friday.
Who are the Alexander brothers?
Oren and Tal Alexander are known for brokering deals on high-end properties in New York City and Miami for clients that included Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Liam Gallagher, and Lindsay Lohan. In 2022, they started a new real estate company called Official.
Alon Alexander attended law school and joined the family's private security business.
Officials from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced the charges during a news conference on Dec. 11. Authorities have accused the brothers of running a sex trafficking scheme and allegedly assaulting dozens of women between 2010 and 2021, dating back to when the men were in high school in some of those cases.
Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the brothers arranged domestic and international trips where they carried out the alleged crimes and recruited women by providing things like travel, luxury accommodations and access to exclusive events. He said they met their alleged victims in person, over social media and on dating apps.
The brothers and other men would then give the women drugs, including cocaine, mushrooms and GHB, which allegedly "caused some of the women to be physically unable to fight back or to escape," Williams said. He added the brothers also carried out other alleged attacks "by chance," at bars, clubs and social events.
Williams said the brothers are expected to be taken to New York.
