Two prominent real estate brokers and their brother charged in sex trafficking case

Federal prosecutors charged two prominent real estate brokers and their brother in a sex trafficking scheme, alleging they baited, drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women since 2010.

Federal prosecutors charged two prominent real estate brokers and their brother in a sex trafficking scheme, alleging they baited, drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women since 2010. Tal and Oren Alexander, top real estate brokers and brothers who started at real estate company Douglas Elliman, and their brother Alon, were arrested Wednesday morning, according to a spokesman for the FBI’s New York field office. They are expected to make a court appearance later in the day in Miami. Prosecutors allege the Alexander brothers worked together and with other men “to repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape dozens of victims” in New York, Miami and elsewhere. Authorities say they used their wealth and status as elite brokers to lure women whom they promised travel, luxury rooms at high end hotels, and access to events. During those trips and events, they allege, the men “frequently raped and sexually assaulted the women” sometimes within hours of meeting them. After the assault, prosecutors say they sometimes offered the women concert tickets or travel. According to the indictment they “arranged for these sexual assaults well in advance, using the promise of luxury experiences, travel, and accommodations to lure and entice women to locations where they were then forcibly raped or sexually assaulted, sometimes by multiple men,” including themselves. Prosecutors allege the brothers and others would pool financial resources to pay for the women’s travel expenses. In choosing targets they’d share photographs of women to “select those they found sufficiently attractive to invite, according to the indictment. The brothers and others allegedly contacted the women through social media or dating apps and invited them to attend events, often by purchasing their flights. They also allegedly worked with party promoters to find women to attend events, and in advance would obtain cocaine, mushrooms and GHB, according to the indictment. During these events and trips, the brothers allegedly “surreptitiously drugged women’s drinks,” authorities allege.