Three Israeli-American real estate magnates have been charged with sex trafficking in a case involving assault on “dozens of women” over more than a decade.
Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother, Alon, who are known for selling upscale properties in New York and Miami, were arrested in Florida on Wednesday and are expected to be taken to New York to face the charges.
According to an unsealed federal indictment, the three brothers are accused of using their wealth and prominent positions in real estate in ultra-luxury markets to "repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault and rape dozens of women” between 2010 and 2021.
The Alexander brothers were also accused by the eight-page indictment of having “worked together and with others known and unknown” to carry out such a sex trafficking scheme.
The indictment said the scheme involved inviting women to parties as well as using the promise of luxury experiences and travel to lure them to locations in the US and abroad where the assaults happened.
It also said they procured drugs and provided them to the women and, at times, "surreptitiously" put them in drinks.
The three brothers are each charged with one count of engaging in a sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Tal Alexander faces an additional charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
A lawyer representing the Alexander brothers, who denied wrong-doing, rejected the accusations while another lawyer representing the victims welcomed the indictment.
"We are glad to hear that there will finally be some measure of accountability for the Alexander brothers and justice for their many victims," said David Gottlieb in a statement posted by his law firm on X.
"We applaud all the survivors who have had the strength and courage to speak up about their unimaginable experiences after years of pain and suffering."
If convicted, the brothers could face sentences of 15 years to life in prison.