In one of the biggest sex trafficking cases ever taken to trial, federal prosecutors have argued that the Alexander brothers — Oren, Tal and Alon — have sexually assaulted women in Florida and New York, dating back as far as 20 years ago.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, which resumes on Tuesday after a weeklong break, it will not be the end of their legal battles. A mountain of civil lawsuits against all three brothers, as well as criminal charges in Florida for two of the brothers, still await them. The men have denied all charges and accusations in criminal and civil court.
Before a possible state trial plays out in Florida, and civil litigation starts, prosecutors must finish their case in Manhattan, which they expect to do as soon as Friday. And then, the brothers’ team of high-powered defense attorneys will take the floor. A verdict is expected early next month.
The scope of the charges for such a high-profile case is staggering: The 2025 sex-trafficking trial of the rapper Sean Combs involved only three criminal counts. The 2019 indictment of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which he never stood trial because he died in prison shortly after his arrest, had only two counts. Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander, however, face a combined 12 federal counts, in a conspiracy that prosecutors say dates back to at least 2009.
Some, but not all, of the civil cases involve rape allegations brought by women who are also part of the federal trial. If the brothers are found not guilty in federal court in Manhattan, there’s no guarantee that the same women won’t win their civil cases. The burden in a criminal case is to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, whereas in a civil case, the burden is lower.
Those civil cases could drag on for years, as well.
“There’s no right to a speedy trial in a civil case,” said Michael Willemin, a lawyer with Wigdor LLP, a firm representing three of the women who have sued the brothers.
For example, O.J. Simpson was acquitted in his 1995 trial for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He was found liable for their wrongful deaths in a 1997 lawsuit, and ordered to pay $25 million to their families.
The Alexander brothers together face at least two dozen lawsuits from women who say one or more of the brothers raped them. Oren Alexander, is also facing three separate state counts of sexual battery in Florida, and Alon Alexander, his twin, faces one. The lawsuits are currently on hold. Prosecutors in Florida are still seeking evidence as part of the discovery process.
Ed O’Donnell, a lawyer representing Oren Alexander in Miami, called the Florida cases “a publicity stunt,” and said the Florida prosecutors were “praying for a federal conviction so they wouldn’t actually have to move forward.”
Oren Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39, had been the country’s top luxury real estate brokers, regularly making headlines for closing multi-million-dollar deals. Alon Alexander, 38, who did not work in real estate, was a fixture on the party circuits in Miami and Manhattan alongside his brothers.
The Real Deal, a real estate trade publication, was the first to report in 2024 that a lawsuit had been filed by two women, Kate Whiteman and Rebecca Mandel, against the twins.
A third woman soon after sued the twins and Tal Alexander. That paved the way for more women to come forward. In July 2024, 10 women shared with The New York Times personal accusations of sexual assault against the brothers. Seven of those women said they believed they had been drugged, describing a fog that erased or clouded their memory. The brothers were arrested in Miami in December 2024.
In court filings, federal prosecutors have said that the brothers had violently raped and sexually assaulted dozens of victims over more than 20 years. In some cases, the indictment says, they drugged victims before the attacks.
The men have denied all allegations and have pleaded not guilty. If convicted on the federal counts, they could face life in prison.
Representatives for the brothers have sought to frame all the allegations as a conspiracy led by women seeking to extort them. Last summer, the three men filed a $500 million defamation suit against The Real Deal, accusing the publication of refusing “to consider or publish anything that called into question its false narrative” of the case against them. The Real Deal has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
“The defense maintains that our clients did not drug anyone, did not rape anyone, and did not traffic anyone,” said Juda Engelmayer, a spokesman for the brothers, in an emailed statement.
Debra Kamin is an investigative reporter for The Times who covers wealth and power in New York.
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