Inside the Alexander Brothers Sex-Trafficking Trial: Prosecutor Rests Its Case

After four weeks of testimony, prosecutors say the once–celebrated luxury real-estate siblings followed the same pattern again and again: lavish invitations, drugs, and assaults that allegedly spanned more than a decade.

After four weeks in court, the prosecutors finished presenting their case against Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander. They claimed the brothers had a routine: find women at clubs or social events, draw them in with their money and status, and then drug and attack them in private, from NYC apartments to fancy vacation spots.

The brothers, who used to be big shots in real estate and luxury social media, said they weren’t guilty of sex trafficking and other charges. Their lawyers said the prosecutors were blowing crude talk and bragging out of proportion. But the prosecutors told the jury the trial showed a system where this was a coordinated plan used for years.

The heart of the government’s case was what 11 women said. They described similar experiences, even though they happened in different places and situations. A lot of the women said they met one or more of the brothers at clubs, parties, or on dating apps. Some were invited to fancy places, like Hamptons mansions, Aspen ski trips, or Caribbean cruises, with flights and nice rooms paid for.

Prosecutors said these invites often came before attacks that involved getting the women drunk or drugged. The claims span more than 10 years and include incidents in NYC apartments, vacation homes in the Hamptons, and trips planned around high-class events.

The prosecutors said the similarities in the stories were backed up by texts and emails found during the investigation. Texts showed the brothers talking about drugs like party favors when planning trips and parties. Authorities also showed emails about bringing drugs on a cruise and photos of the women who were on electronic devices.

One video shown to the jury was a key part of the prosecutor’s closing statement. It seemed to show an attack on a drugged teenager in a Manhattan apartment in 2009. Prosecutors said one of the brothers adjusted a laptop camera before it happened.

The government said all the messages, photos, and videos showed the same kind of thing the women described: starting with invites and ending with sexual violence.

Some of the court stories mentioned the Hamptons, where the brothers often had parties at fancy houses. One woman said she saw an attack at a mansion and wrote rapist on a bedroom door with eyeliner to warn others.

Another woman talked about something that happened with several men during a Hamptons weekend when she was a teenager. She said she fought one of the men off to get away.

Another person, who was an intern connected to the United Nations at the time, said she saw men dragging a woman toward a hot tub during the same weekend and stepped in after hearing the woman ask for help.

The prosecution said these accounts were part of a bigger picture: rich men using access, trips, and social status to trap women. The prosecutors said that most of the women did not know each other and were from very different backgrounds, as one of the women happens to be a billionaire’s daughter.

The defense lawyers argued that the prosecutors were twisting the brothers’ lives and conversations, saying the crude texts and locker-room talk were just immature, not criminal. They also said the government was trying to make normal nightlife and hookup culture into crimes.

The prosecutors told jurors that the amount of testimony that meshed together, plus the evidence found on electronics, showed a plan used for years.

The trial gave a sneak peek into a world of fancy real estate, rich people’s travel, and being around celebrities. One thing mentioned was when something happened after a party at Zac Efron’s apartment in Manhattan, even though he wasn’t connected to the crime.

The jurors will decide whether everything the women told was just a coincidence or a calculated plan of taking advantage based on money, access, and social standing.

The defense will give its closing arguments before the jury makes a decision.