Two prominent real estate brokers and their brother have been indicted in a sex trafficking case

CNN
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Federal prosecutors have charged two prominent real estate brokers and their brother in a sex-trafficking scheme, alleging they lured, drugged and sexually assaulted women since 2010.

Tal and Oren Alexander, brothers and senior real estate brokers who started the real estate firm Douglas Elliman, and their brother Alon were arrested Wednesday morning, according to a spokesman for the FBI’s New York office.

Alon and Oren Alexander were arrested by state authorities on charges of sexual battery and are expected to be taken into federal custody after their initial appearance in state court. Tal Alexander appeared before a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday evening and is expected to make another appearance on Friday. Miami-Dade County prosecutors said they were coordinating with federal officials in New York on the next steps for the two men, including possible extradition.

The three brothers face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on federal charges.

Prosecutors say the Alexander brothers worked together and with other men to “repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault and rape dozens of victims” in New York, Miami and elsewhere. The newly unsealed federal indictment accuses the brothers of a scheme from 2011 to 2021. But prosecutors say the sexual assault on dozens of women spanned more than 20 years, dating back to when the men were in high school.

Authorities say they used their wealth and status as elite brokers to lure women who promised them trips, luxury rooms and access to events. During those trips and events, the men allegedly “frequently raped and sexually assaulted the women” sometimes within hours of meeting them. After the attack, prosecutors say, the women were sometimes offered concert tickets or trips.

According to the indictment, “these sexual assaults were prearranged, using the promise of luxury experiences, travel and accommodations to lure and entice the women to locations where they were later raped or sexually assaulted, sometimes by multiple men,” among others. themselves

The prosecutor alleged that the brothers and others would pool financial resources to pay for the women’s travel expenses. When choosing targets they would share photos of the women “to select those they thought were attractive enough to invite,” according to the indictment. The brothers and others allegedly contacted the women through social media or dating apps and invited them to events, often with the purchase of flights. They also allegedly worked with party promoters to find women to attend events, and would procure cocaine, mushrooms and GHB in advance, the indictment alleges. During those events and trips, the brothers allegedly “secretly drugged the women’s drinks,” authorities say.

The brothers often “drugged their victims before attacking them, preventing them from fighting or fleeing,” the indictment says. The brothers allegedly restrained the victims during the attacks and “ignored screams and explicit requests to stop,” according to the indictment.

“Oren Alexander is innocent. The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime,” Susan Necheles, Oren Alexander’s attorney, said in a statement.

Isabelle Kirschner, an attorney representing twins Alon and Oren Alexander in civil sex-trafficking cases, confirmed the arrest and declined further comment. Deanna Paul, an attorney for older brother Tal Alexander, also confirmed his arrest and had no further comment. A spokesman for Douglas Elliman did not respond to a request for comment.

Sexual assault allegations against Douglas Elliman agents have been ongoing for years, and the company’s stock has fallen as the crisis has grown. The company’s former CEO, Howard Lorber, abruptly retired in October.

A letter filed Wednesday by federal prosecutors in Manhattan asking the judge to deny the brothers bond also reveals more details about the allegations in the indictment.

Law enforcement officials have interviewed dozens of women who alleged they were raped or sexually assaulted, including at least several women who said they were raped by at least one of the Alexander brothers while they were in high school in Miami in the early 2000s, the letter said.

The three brothers were charged in 2016 with sex trafficking of a victim and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

The victim of the sex trafficking charge alleges that she and a friend first met the twins on a dating app.

Oren and Alon offered to pay for the Illinois women to fly to New York to spend Labor Day weekend with their brothers in the Hamptons, the letter says, and the women accepted.

Oren gave the alleged victim a drink at a home in the Hamptons hours after they arrived. After drinking the cocktail, she was unable to move or speak because Oren raped her, the complaint says.

Data retrieved from Oren’s iCloud account shows the three brothers discussing plans for a weekend “orgy,” according to the letter.

The letter details other threads of messages between the brothers and other unnamed men detailing plans to organize international trips where they would “import” the women. A planned October 2016 scheme in Tulum, Mexico came after an alleged brawl in the Hamptons.

In a group WhatsApp chat called “Lions in Tulum,” the Alexander brothers and other men on the trip discussed women’s “imports” for the upcoming trip to Tulum, including splitting the cost of lodging and flights for the women. They planned to “import” and give the women drugs that would make them more likely to have sex, including “coke, mushrooms and G.”

A post from Oren in a message thread said: “Are all the girls shipping on Sunday?”

Tal Alexander is accused of sex-trafficking a second victim in July 2011 while in the Hamptons.

The alleged victim was planning to go to the Hamptons that weekend with friends.
Tal Alexander and another unnamed man allegedly picked up the woman and her friend from the local train station and took them to their vacation home.

The woman felt unwell after drinking half a glass of wine provided at home, according to the prosecutor’s letter.

“Victim 1’s memory later faded, but he has several distinct memories of the night,” the letter said. “Specifically, Victim-1 recalls being held by Tal while another man entered the room. Victim-1 also recalls being in a second location with Tal and the other man and a camera being set up.”

His next memory was waking up on the grass outside the holiday home, the letter says.

Prosecutors say Tal and Oren took steps to protect their reputation in the real estate industry and cover up their crimes.

“The government knows, for example, that Talek and Oren filed a police report at least once alleging harassment against a woman whom Talek described as digitally raping while in Oren’s room. Tal also threatened the victim with a defamation lawsuit if she didn’t stop telling people that he and Oren had sexually assaulted her.”

New York prosecutors want the three brothers jailed before trial because they are a flight risk and a significant danger to the community.

Prosecutors said in the letter that the men are a flight risk with international connections to countries including Israel and have extensive resources, including access to private jets with direct water access to the Atlantic Ocean, yachts and Florida residences.

The three brothers have faced several civil lawsuits, alleging that they sexually assaulted many women.

According to a lawsuit, Alon and Tal raped a woman in 2012 “in a coordinated sexual assault planned and facilitated by Oren Alexander along with his brothers.”

The brothers’ representatives have previously denied any wrongdoing to the allegations.