Three brothers, including prominent luxury real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander, were convicted of sex trafficking on Monday after a five-week trial in New York. The verdict followed testimony from 11 women who alleged they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers, twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39.
Prosecutors said more than 60 women have accused the brothers of rape, with attacks occurring after they were invited to luxury destinations such as the Hamptons, a Caribbean cruise, and Aspen, Colorado. The women testified they were often drugged after consuming alcohol given by the brothers, losing control of their bodies.
Defence lawyers argued the encounters were consensual and suggested the accusers had faulty memories or sought financial gain. However, prosecutors noted only two accusers have pending lawsuits, both of whom are wealthy. One woman, who said she was raped by Alon Alexander in Aspen in 2017 when she was 17, told jurors: “I don’t want their money. I just don’t want them to have it.”
Lindsey Acree, a Brooklyn artist, testified she was raped by Tal Alexander in the Hamptons in 2011 after feeling paralysed from less than half a glass of wine. She said she sued to “take away” the brothers’ money, comparing it to a stick used to hurt people. The Associated Press typically does not identify alleged victims unless they come forward publicly, as Acree and reality TV star Tracy Tutor have done.
Prosecutors presented text messages and emails where the brothers boasted about sexual exploits and knowledge of drugs, along with a blog post titled “It’s not rape if …”. They also said the brothers shared photos of victims and recorded at least one assault on video. The brothers, who previously worked at Douglas Elliman before founding their own firm, Official, face multiple civil lawsuits.
