Tal Alexander (L) and Oren Alexander (R).
Getty Images
Federal prosecutors in New York accused top real estate agents Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother, Alon, of drugging and raping “dozens of victims” over more than a decade.
The brothers at times “lured” women with luxury travel to destinations where they were then sexually assaulted, according to the newly unsealed federal indictment charging them with sex trafficking.
The brothers — who had been synonymous with Manhattan’s luxury real estate market before allegations against them first surfaced earlier this year — were arrested in Miami on Wednesday morning.
They each face one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking of a victim by force, fraud, or coercion, the eight-page indictment in U.S. District Court in Manhattan says. Tal Alexander faces an additional count of sex trafficking of a victim by force, fraud, or coercion.
If convicted, the brothers could face prison sentences of 15 years to life, prosecutors said.
The New York prosecutors on Wednesday also urged federal judges in Manhattan and Miami to keep the brothers detained, arguing they “pose an ongoing and significant danger to the community and present a serious risk of flight.”
Isabelle Kirshner, an attorney for Alon and Oren, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the unsealed federal indictment. Deanna Paul, an attorney for Tal, declined to comment on the federal charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York scheduled a press conference on the arrests for 1 p.m. ET in Manhattan.
Several women have previously filed lawsuits in Manhattan accusing the brothers of sexual assault. The brothers have denied wrongdoing.
“We are glad to hear that there will finally be some measure of accountability for the Alexander brothers and justice for their many victims,” David Gottlieb, an attorney for the plaintiffs in a number of the civil cases against the Alexanders, said in a statement.
“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,” Gottlieb said.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
— CNBC’s Jim Forkin contributed to this report.