Luxury real estate brokers charged with sex trafficking

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Two star real estate brokers were charged in New York with sex trafficking on Wednesday in what federal authorities alleged were assaults against dozens of women over more than a decade.

Brothers Tal and Oren Alexander who co-founded their own real estate company in 2022 after previously working at brokerage giant Douglas Elliman, were arrested in Miami earlier on Wednesday alongside their brother Alon, who works in private security.

Allegations of sexual assault first surfaced in multiple civil lawsuits brought by a number of women earlier this year — in which some or all of the three brothers were named as defendants — and rocked the luxury real estate world. In some cases, the women alleged they were drugged, making them unable to fight back, while other instances allegedly involved violent physical force. They had denied the allegations, according to media reports.

Federal authorities launched a joint investigation into the siblings, which culminated in the arrests in Miami Beach.

“This conduct, as alleged, was heinous,” said Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, during a press conference on Wednesday. He added that the district prosecutes anyone “who engages in sex trafficking, no matter how powerful or wealthy or famous you may be”.

A lawyer for Tal Alexander, 38, declined to comment, while a lawyer representing Oren and Alon, both 37, did not respond to a request for comment.

The indictment filed in federal court on Wednesday alleged that the defendants arranged both domestic and international trips for the women they targeted. In addition to trips, the women were given gifts such as concert tickets and other “luxury experiences”, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors allege that the brothers wielded their wealth and social status to lure potential victims into their orbit — either to attend events or for private meetups. They would sometimes give them drugs such as cocaine, mushrooms or GHB, a depressant that can lead to unconsciousness, according to the court filing.

Tal and Oren built a reputation in the cut-throat real estate sector by helping to broker some of the biggest residential sales in history. In 2019, they represented hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin in his purchase of a $240mn penthouse in Manhattan. At the time, it was the most expensive home sale in US history.

Some of the allegations against the brothers mirror claims that surfaced against other wealthy and powerful men during the #MeToo movement in 2017. The case against the Alexander brothers follows another recent high-profile sex trafficking case brought by the US attorney’s office in Manhattan against rap mogul Sean Combs, also known as Diddy. Combs has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.

The Alexanders’ real estate firm, called Official, is known for selling multimillion-dollar luxury listings in New York, Miami and Aspen. They stepped down from the firm in June after the allegations first surfaced, according to media reports.

The brothers also chronicled their lavish life online, amassing tens of thousands of followers on social media platforms such as Instagram, according to their profiles.