The Alexander brothers — Tal, 39, and twins Alon and Oren, 38 — are on trial in Manhattan on federal sex‑trafficking charges accusing them of drugging, trafficking and sexually assaulting dozens of women from 2008 to 2021. All three plead not guilty and have been held without bail since their December 2024 arrests. Defense attorneys say encounters were consensual and will attack witnesses’ credibility; prosecutors say evidence shows a long‑running pattern of predatory conduct. Opening statements begin after a one‑day snow delay.
Alexander Brothers Face Federal Sex‑Trafficking Trial in Manhattan Over Alleged Decade‑Long Scheme
FILE - Oren and Tal Alexander speak at a panel at the Rockstars of Real Estate Event, Sept. 3, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision for DETAILS Magazine/AP Images, File)(Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander — three brothers who built high‑profile careers in luxury real estate and private security — are on trial in federal court in Manhattan on charges that they drugged, trafficked and sexually assaulted dozens of women over more than a decade.
Prosecutors say the siblings used their wealth, access and travel to lure victims to upscale destinations from 2008 through 2021, sometimes allegedly rendering women incapacitated with drugs and, in some instances, recording assaults. Dozens of women have come forward with allegations that span several states and years.
Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday after the trial’s start was postponed one day because heavy snowfall hit New York over the weekend. The brothers — Tal, 39, and twins Alon and Oren, 38 — have pleaded not guilty and have been held without bail since their arrests in December 2024. Indictments followed months after multiple women filed civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct.
Defense Response: A spokesperson for the Alexander brothers issued a categorical denial: “They categorically deny that anyone was drugged, assaulted, or coerced, and the government has presented no physical evidence, medical records, contemporaneous complaints, or objective proof to establish those claims.”
FILE - In this screenshot, Miami Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer is seen via video presiding over the first court appearance of Alon Alexander, who is charged with sexual battery along with his twin brother, Oren Alexander, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Miami. (Miami Dade Circuit Court via AP, Pool, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“This case highlights a broader concern about how the federal sex‑trafficking statute is being applied. Congress enacted that law to address force, coercion, and exploitation; not to retroactively criminalize consensual adult relationships through inference or narrative,” said Juda Engelmayer, speaking for the defense. “Allegations are not evidence.”
The brothers’ lawyers have told the court they will show jurors that consensual sexual encounters — including group sex and threesomes — have been reframed by prosecutors as criminal conduct. Oren Alexander’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has said the defense will challenge the credibility of witnesses and present evidence that undermines parts of accusers’ accounts.
Judge Valerie E. Caproni has rejected defense motions to dismiss the federal charges or to transfer the case to state court, writing that the defense’s characterization of the allegations as state‑level “date‑rape” matters “badly misrepresents the nature of the charges.”
Prosecutors say their evidence will demonstrate a pattern of predatory behavior and that the defendants “acted with apparent impunity,” forcibly raping women when they chose to do so. The trial will include testimony from multiple accusers and competing narratives about consent, coercion and the proper reach of federal sex‑trafficking statutes.
The proceedings are likely to draw sustained public attention because of the high‑profile lifestyle of the defendants, the seriousness of the allegations, and the potential penalties: federal sex‑trafficking convictions can carry life sentences.
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