Luxury real estate brokers charged in New York federal sex-trafficking indictment

NEW YORK (AP) — Two luxury real estate brokers and their brother have been charged with sex trafficking, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan.

Federal prosecutors allege in the indictment that Oren and Tal Alexander, known for brokering luxury real estate deals in New York and Miami, and brother Alon Alexander worked together to “repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault and rape dozens of victims . ”

“This conduct was heinous,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said at a news conference in his Manhattan office.

Williams said the brothers used their wealth and influence to take advantage of victims over a period of at least 2010 to 2021.

The brothers, who all live in Miami, used “deceit, fraud and coercion” to entice victims to travel with them or attend parties or events where they covered flights, hotels and other expenses, according to the indictment. They even sometimes used the promise of a romantic relationship, it is said.

The women were then drugged and raped by one or more of the brothers, as well as other men, the US attorney said.

After the attacks, the brothers gave the victims concert tickets and luxury items, Williams added.

The brothers often met their victims on dating apps, through social events and in bars and nightclubs, but also used party planners to “provocate” women, according to Williams.

The women were often supplied with drugs, including cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms and GHB, and the brothers even secretly spiked some of the women’s drinks, leaving them physically impaired and unable to fight back or escape the sexual assaults, prosecutors said in their indictment.

“In some cases, the defendants physically restrained and held down their victims during the rapes and sexual assaults and ignored screams and explicit requests to stop,” the indictment states.

Williams said the brothers were arrested in Florida on Wednesday and will appear in federal court in Miami before being brought to New York to answer the charges.

Tal Alexander, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, and Oren’s twin brother, Alon Alexander, were each indicted on one count of engaging in a sex trafficking conspiracy.

Williams declined to say whether others will be charged because the investigation is ongoing.

“They weren’t acting alone,” Williams said.

Attorneys for the brothers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.