Alexander brothers had sex trafficking playbook, prosecutor tells jury

NEW YORK, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Three wealthy brothers, including two of New York's top real estate brokers, had a longstanding playbook for luring women and girls to exclusive parties where they drugged and raped them, a federal prosecutor told a jury on Tuesday at the start of a closely watched sex trafficking trial.

Oren Alexander, Tal Alexander and Alon Alexander have pleaded not guilty to all charges they respectively faced in an indictment alleging trafficking and other criminal conduct related to seven victims. Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the luxury real estate brokerage Official, while Alon Alexander was an executive at a private security company.

Defense lawyers have contended that the women were willing participants who were not paid to have sex.

Tal Alexander, 39, faces nine charges, and his twin brothers Oren and Alon, 38, face eight each. More than 20 women could be called on to testify, sometimes under pseudonyms to protect their identities. The brothers also face many civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.

Prosecutor Madison Smyser told jurors during her opening statement in Manhattan federal court that the brothers masqueraded as party boys but were actually predators.

"They had a playbook. For years, the defendants lured in women and girls with promises of exclusive parties and trips, and when the women got there, the defendants raped them," Smyser said. She also said the brothers used drugs, alcohol and brute force to violently rape victims.

In court papers, prosecutors said the rapes occurred at lavish parties or luxury locations in destinations such as New York, the Hamptons, Las Vegas and on cruises. The suspected crimes described in the indictment allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2021.

Defense lawyer Teny Geragos countered that this was a "monster story" drawn from the ordinary activities of single men who liked women.

"That's not trafficking, that's dating. That's hooking up. But the government is trying to turn their past life of going out and partying into one of the most serious crimes we have: sex trafficking," Geragos said.

The three brothers were arrested in December 2024 and have been jailed pending trial at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.

Each brother has his own legal defense team. Oren Alexander's lawyers include Marc Agnifilo and Geragos, who last year defended rapper and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs at his sex trafficking trial.

Prosecutors said on Tuesday the first alleged victim expected to testify met Alon Alexander and Tal Alexander at an NBA Finals watch party at a celebrity's Manhattan apartment in June 2012, and was raped twice by Alon Alexander after being given drugs and alcohol and losing consciousness.