Bond set for man charged in alleged Miami gang rape with Alexander brothers
MIAMI - A friend of the three Alexander brothers, who have been charged in a federal sex crimes investigation and are facing separate charges in the state, was arraigned Wednesday morning in a Miami-Dade court.
Ohad Fisherman, who was on a planned honeymoon in Japan during the brothers' arrest, surrendered himself to authorities before the hearing. He was named in Florida state charges and is accused of taking part in a gang rape.
During the hearing, 11th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jody 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. The judge reset the hearing for Friday to give Fisherman's attorney time to provide a personal guarantee of funds.
Fisherman's wife, family and friends attended the hearing. When it was over, he was taken into custody for booking and subsequent stay in jail.
Fisherman is not named in the federal investigation of the Alexander brothers.
Who is Ohad Fisherman?
Oren and Tal Alexander are the founders of the luxury real estate firm Official, which has offices in Manhattan and Miami Beach. Alon, Oren's twin, worked at the family's private security firm, authorities said.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said that Alon, Oren and 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 Alexander brothers in court
Tal Alexander was not granted bond during his hearing in Miami federal court last week. The brothers' attorney, Joel Denaro, said he's filed a motion to reconsider that decision.
The twin brothers, Alon and Oren, are awaiting a decision on their state bond status.
On Dec. 13, prosecutors proposed a $2 million bond for Alon Alexander and house arrest with a GPS monitoring device. He also has to stay away from the alleged victims. The personal surety bond would be secured against his father's home.
Oren Alexander's proposed bond amount was set at $3 million with the same conditions as his twin.
Judge Jean said that bond amounts and proposed conditions for their release were reasonable. She said she could sign off on them as early as Monday, Dec. 16, if Denaro provides a guarantee that the funds for surety are there.
It's important to note that the conditional release only applies to the Florida charges, there is still a federal hold in place.
On Monday, Denaro informed the judge that the proper paperwork finalizing the bond agreement somehow didn't make it to the right people in the county jail. The judge said the details of the house arrest may be more of a hurdle than anything else. She said she doesn't know what is going to happen in federal court where the brothers also face charges and will also be seeking bond.
The judge said that even if a bond is granted, the house arrest GPS monitor will not be fitted unless they are fully bonded out from all jurisdictions holding them, whether it's a Florida state charge or a federal charge. So she wanted to see what happens in federal court before they put in any funds on the state court charges.
That matter was reset until Thursday.
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 the sex trafficking.
