Alexander twins held in Miami federal facility in sex crimes case before New York transfer
MIAMI - Two of the three Alexander brothers charged in a multistate sex crimes investigation were transferred to a Miami federal detention facility Thursday to await a pretrial hearing before facing additional charges in New York.
The brothers, whose family has built a real estate empire, face state and federal charges for alleged rapes and sex trafficking incidents spanning more than a decade.
Twins Alon and Oren Alexander were originally scheduled to appear in a Miami-Dade courtroom for an update on their bond status. During the hearing, their attorney, Joel Denaro, told Circuit Court Judge Lody Jean that they had been picked up earlier by U.S. Marshals for their transfer from state to federal custody. He said he did not wish to proceed with the bond issue at this time.
"We plan on bonding out after the federal is resolved," Denaro told the judge. Judge Jean set a tentative start of trial for March 10.
A bond agreement had been reached last week. It included a $25,000 personal surety bond for each brother, a combined $5 million bond from their father's house and house arrest with GPS monitoring.
During a hearing last Monday, when the terms of the bond agreement were announced, Judge Jean pointed out that if a bond was granted, the house arrest GPS monitor would not be fitted unless they were fully bonded out from all jurisdictions holding them, whether it's a Florida state charge or a federal charge.
Oren and Tal Alexander are the founders of the luxury real estate firm Official, which has offices in Manhattan and Miami Beach. Alon worked at the family's private security firm, authorities said.
Tal Alexander was not granted bond during his hearing in Miami federal court last week. Denaro said he's filed a motion to reconsider that decision.
The Florida case against the Alexander brothers
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said that Alon, Oren and their friend Ohad Fisherman were involved in three separate incidents in Florida that occurred with three different victims in December 2016, October 2017 and October 2021.
In the first incident, a woman said Alon Alexander invited her to attend a barbecue at his Miami Beach apartment along with Oren Alexander and Fisherman, according to the arrest report. The woman said Fisherman pinned her down on the bed using his knees on her shoulders while the twins discussed who would rape her first, according to the report. The woman said she was crying and asking them to stop, but the twins allegedly didn't.
According to the report, the woman said that after the attack, the Alexander brothers made sure she showered at the residence to get rid of any evidence and then told her not to tell anyone about the interaction. The woman told her sisters and a friend shortly after, and the police said the stories matched, according to the report. So did the Uber receipts to and from the residence.
In the second incident, Oren Alexander invited another victim to his apartment, gave her a glass of wine and directed her toward the bedroom. At this moment, the victim said that she began to feel like "she was no longer in control of her own body" and that Oren Alexander raped her while she felt she couldn't move or speak, Rundle said.
Rundle said in the third incident, Oren Alexander sexually assaulted another victim after inviting her and several friends to his house.
The Alexanders' alleged accomplice
On Wednesday, during Fisherman's pretrial release hearing, Judge Jean said that bond would be a $25,000 corporate surety bond and a $260,000 personal surety guarantee by his wife and mother-in-law. She also set conditions for release: house arrest with an ankle monitor and he must stay away from the alleged victim. He must also surrender his U.S. and Israeli passports.
Fisherman's attorney said his client's wife and mother-in-law will sign a $260,000 surety bond to ensure his appearance at the proceedings.
On Thursday, Judge Jean told an attorney for Fisherman that a bondsman is satisfied with the collateral being guaranteed. Fisherman said the corrections department had the paperwork necessary for his client's release.
Judge Jean told the attorney that she always makes sure there is equity attached to a personal surety guarantee. She noted that Fisherman's mother-in-law's listed assets surpass the amount of the $260,000 personal surety, but she would like proof of that.
"I would like to see some monetary instrument that supports that," she said.
The judge said it could include adjusted mortgage notes as well as property value from a property appraiser to show there is an excess of $260,000 in equity. Fisherman's attorney said he should be able to get the required documents that same day and submit them to the judge.
He's expected to be released on Friday and will need to wear an ankle monitor.
The judge set a tentative trial date of March 10 for Fisherman.
Who are the Alexander brothers?
Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander were indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in New York.
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. 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 to face additional sex trafficking charges.