A judge ruled late Friday to deny bail for Tal Alexander, the luxury real estate agent who along with his twin brothers Oren and Alon faces federal sex trafficking charges.
Tal Alexander will remain behind bars in federal custody awaiting transfer to New York in connection with that case.
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WATCH HEREHe was in court Friday, where around twenty family members and friends showed up to support him.
"Obviously they’re terribly disappointed,” said Milton L. Williams Jr., attorney for Alexander.
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The judge’s decision came despite the family offering to put up $115 million dollars in equity as a guarantee that Tal Alexander would not flee the country and would appear in court to face the charges.
Williams argued Tal is a new father to a two-week old baby with ties to the community. He claimed he is not a flight risk or danger to others, two key factors when considering bail.
“I did not think the government met that burden at all,” said Williams. "Obviously, the judge thought differently so here we are.”
Federal prosecutors argued that though the indictment spans eleven years, they believe all three brothers have been raping women for decades, dating back to their time at Michael Krop Senior High School in Miami.
One incident, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, details the gang rape of a fourteen year-old freshman by a group of boys including Oren and Alon.
A North Miami Beach police spokesperson confirmed the 2003 incident was reported to police, and the brothers were named as suspects along with others.
The spokesperson explained the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office didn’t move forward with the case due to lack of evidence and inconsistencies in the girl’s account.
Federal prosecutors say they have interviewed approximately forty women who tell similar stories of being drugged and raped. They also reference evidence including messages about shipping women out on international trips, and photos and videos they say depict some of the brothers engaging in sexual activity with victims.
"There is strength in numbers and where there is smoke there is fire," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga stated in court.
Prosecutors also raised concerns about claims the brothers have sought to discredit victims and tried to intimidate them from reporting crimes, filing police reports alleging harassment and threatening to sue women.
Williams was asked how his client is doing.
"He’s a tough guy and he understands this is a real a fight. And he’s going to have to dig in and he’s going to have to dig deep to deal with it," he said.
Now, rather than being released to his family on house arrest, as the defense had requested, Tal Alexander will be transferred to New York to face the trafficking charges in the days ahead.
