Real estate moguls Oren and Alon Alexander will be held without bond on state charges ahead of their sex crimes trial, at least for now, a Florida judge ruled Thursday.
A division judge will make the final ruling Friday.
Brothers Oren and Alon Alexander, both 37, and Tal Alexander, 38, were arrested on Wednesday in Miami on federal sex trafficking charges, according to an indictment from prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. For well over a decade, the prominent real estate brothers conspired to “repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault and rape dozens of women,” according to the federal indictment unsealed Wednesday in New York.
Oren and Alon, who are twins, were also arrested on state charges, including sexual battery, for which they made their appearances Thursday. Ohad Fisherman, a relative and also a real estate broker, is also charged in Florida but remains at large, state prosecutors said Wednesday.
In this screenshot, Miami Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer is seen via video presiding over the first court appearance of Alon Alexander, who is charged with sexual battery along with his twin brother, Oren Alexander, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Miami.
Miami Dade Circuit Court via AP, POOL
During Thursday’s hearing, Oren Alexander said his wife was nine months pregnant, and requested permission to attend her labor. He was denied the request Thursday, with the judge citing his status as a flight risk and access to transportation, but the division judge will make a final ruling.
The third brother, Tal Alexander, appeared in front of a federal judge on Wednesday, but is awaiting a removal hearing on Friday to determine if he is sent to New York. He is only facing federal charges.
Oren and Alon Alexander were also ordered Thursday not to have contact with any of their alleged victims.
Oren and Alon Alexander, who are being represented individually by different lawyers, released statements denouncing the charges.
“My client will be entering a plea of not guilty and addressing these charges in the appropriate forum…the Courtroom,” Isabelle Kirshner, an attorney representing Alon Alexander, said in a statement to ABC News.
Oren Alexander’s lawyer said in a statement to ABC News, “Oren Alexander is innocent. The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime.”
There was no comment from Tal Alexander’s attorney.
Oren and Alon Alexander.
Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections
The alleged “long-running sex trafficking scheme” began in 2010 and relied on “deception, fraud and coercion,” with the brothers inducing women to attend parties, events and trips where they were then attacked, federal prosecutors said in regards to the charges out of New York.
The brothers allegedly shared photographs of women to make sure they were “sufficiently attractive,” federal prosecutors said. The brothers used dating apps or social media to contact them or used party planners as intermediaries, according to the federal indictment.
The Alexanders also provided drugs and would sometimes spike women’s drinks, the federal indictment said.
During a press conference Wednesday, Florida State Attorney Katherine Rundle described the basis for the state charges, including one incident in which Fisherman allegedly held down an unnamed woman while Oren and Alon allegedly raped her in a locked room.
Tal and Oren Alexander began their careers at Douglas Elliman, focusing on the real estate market in New York and Miami. They left and launched their own firm, Official, in 2022. Alon Alexander is a president at Kent Security Services, the family’s private security firm.
ABC News’ Larysa Demkiw contributed to this report.
First appeared on abcnews.go.com