NEW YORK AP — More than 60 individuals have told investigators they were raped by one of two luxury real estate brokers or their brother, a prosecutor said Friday as the men made their first appearance in a New York federal courtroom. The Miami men, who are in jail with no bail, pleaded not guilty before Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who set a Jan. Assistant U. Attorney Elizabeth Espinosa said investigators have now interviewed more than 60 individuals who said they were raped by at least one of the brothers.
Prosecutors had previously said that more than 40 women had told prosecutors they were raped by the men over a two-decade span. An indictment charges Oren Alexander, 37, and Tal Alexander, 38, with using wealth and influence they built up by selling high-end properties in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles to rape and sexually abuse women from at least to Their brother, Alon Alexander, 37, is charged, too.
The men, handcuffed and in shackles and separated from one another by their lawyers, sat quietly as their lawyers answered the judge's request for their pleas. Espinosa then described the evidence that was being studied by investigators and would be turned over to defense lawyers for their review. The evidence features social media accounts, including dating websites, along with large volumes of electronic data taken from phones that were seized from each defendant during his arrest and more electronic devices taken during searches at their homes, the prosecutor said.
She said investigators had so far extracted information from eight devices while 19 others awaited review after the FBI succeeds in getting past obstructions such as passwords. Defense attorney Howard Srebnick said prosecutors had told them that as many as 10 of the accusers were likely to testify. Investigators for the defense team will need several months to investigate each individual's claim once the identities of the women are disclosed to them, he said.
The judge said she plans to tell prospective jurors that the trial will last about six weeks. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
