4 November 5-11, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | STRAIGHT TO JAIL The Alexander brothers are sentenced to 30 years each in their sex-trafficking case. BY NATASHA YEE T he Alexander brothers, the Miami-raised sib- lings who went from rubbing elbows with the rich and famous to being con- victed of running a years-long sex-trafficking conspiracy, have each been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni handed down the sentences Tuesday, Oct. 27, in a packed Manhattan courtroom, bringing an end to one of the most closely watched sex-trafficking prosecutions in recent years. Twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 39, and their older brother Tal, 40, were convicted in March of federal sex-trafficking and related charges following a five-week trial in which 11 women testified that they’d been raped or sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers. Federal prosecutors had sought life sen- tences, arguing that the brothers spent more than two decades exploiting their wealth, connections and access to luxury properties to lure women into situations where the brothers drugged and sexually assaulted them. Defense attorneys requested the man- datory minimum sentence of 15 years. The brothers have maintained their inno- cence. They’re expected to appeal their con- victions, according to The New York Times. Before the sentences were announced, 11 women addressed the court for nearly 90 minutes. Prosecutors read another woman’s statement aloud. Several described how the attacks fundamentally altered their lives and criticized the brothers for what they viewed as a continued lack of remorse. One woman, identified by the pseudonym Maya Miller, testified during the trial that Tal Alexander raped her in a shower during a 2014 visit to a Hamptons property. “There was no confusion. Tal Alexander raped me,” she told the court, according to the Times. Another woman, identified as Isa Brooks, recounted being raped at age 16 by Tal and Alon Alexander and two other men at a 2009 party. Brooks told the court that the assault had permanently changed the course of her life. She also described her shock upon learn- ing how many other women had accused the brothers of similar attacks. According to prosecutors, at least 70 women and girls have reported being raped or sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers over two decades. That figure en- compasses allegations beyond the offenses adjudicated at trial. Several women also paid tribute to Kate Whiteman, whose lawsuit helped bring the allegations against the brothers into public view. Whiteman was found dead in Australia late last year. The sentencing marks the culmina- tion of a spectacular downfall for three men who once en- joyed extraordinary wealth and influ- ence in Miami and New York. Oren and Tal Alexander were prominent luxury real estate brokers who represented wealthy clients and helped broker some of the country’s most expensive property sales. After building their reputa- tions at Douglas Elliman, they launched their own brokerage. Their brother Alon worked in the family’s private security business. The brothers were fixtures of the Miami and Manhattan nightlife scenes, frequently photographed aboard yachts, at lavish parties and alongside celebrities. Prosecutors argued that their lifestyles were central to their crim- inal operation. According to the government, the brothers used the promise of exclusive parties, vaca- tions and access to wealthy social circles to attract women before drugging, raping or sexually assaulting them. The alleged pattern began while the brothers were teenagers in Miami and continued as their professional success and influence grew. The allegations exploded into public view in June 2024, when real estate publication The Real Deal reported on civil lawsuits ac- cusing Oren and Alon of rape. More women subsequently came forward. In December 2024, federal authorities ar- rested the three brothers at their multimil- lion-dollar South Florida homes. The arrests sparked a sprawling legal battle involving federal sex-trafficking charges, separate state criminal cases and numerous civil lawsuits. During the federal trial, jurors heard testi- mony about assaults at luxury homes, parties and vacations. They also viewed video evi- dence of an assault involving a 17-year-old girl. On March 9, a Manhattan federal jury found the three brothers guilty on all 10 counts submitted for deliberation. The 30-year sentences represent a middle ground between the competing recommen- dations submitted to Judge Caproni. In sen- tencing memoranda filed last month, federal prosecutors argued that the scope and sever- ity of the brothers’ crimes warranted life be- hind bars. The federal Probation Office recommended sentences totaling 195 years for Oren and 180 years each for Alon and Tal, according to the Associated Press. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, argued that the 15-year mandatory minimum would adequately punish the brothers and pointed to the impact lengthy prison sentences would have on their families and young children. The Alexander brothers’ legal troubles are far from finished. They still face roughly two dozen civil lawsuits accusing them of sexual assault and rape, according to the Times. The twins have also faced separate criminal proceedings in Miami-Dade County stemming from alleged sexual assaults in South Florida. Some charges have since been dropped, in- cluding one against Alon after his defense pre- sented evidence challenging the allegation. The federal convictions also brought an end to the brothers’ efforts to portray them- selves as victims of a coordinated campaign to destroy their reputations. Earlier this year, the Alexanders moved to drop a $500 million defamation lawsuit they had filed against The Real Deal, the publication whose reporting helped expose the initial allegations. [email protected] The 30-year sentences represent a middle ground between the competing recommendations submitted to Judge Caproni. Photo by Matias J. Ocner-Pool/Getty Images | METRO | BEFORE THE SENTENCES WERE ANNOUNCED, 11 WOMEN ADDRESSED THE COURT FOR NEARLY 90 MINUTES. In the game Miami-Dade inks a $3.9 million “GTA VI” ad deal, promises park funding. BY ALLISON BECK M iami residents have waited decades for an empty lot behind the Kaseya Center to become a promised world-class park. Could this year’s most anticipated video game finally make it happen? According to a press statement released on Thursday, Oct. 29, Miami-Dade County and Rockstar Games signed a $3.9 million agreement to place additional ads for the upcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI” launch. The deal includes the already-installed “Wel- come to Vice City” rooftop display at the Kaseya Center, plus additional ad placements: • Themed lighting at Port Miami and Miami International Airport • Promotional signs on airport walkways connecting terminals to airport parking ga- rages • Decorative wraps on traffic signal boxes across Miami-Dade County All graphics will be subject to county approval, according to the county’s press release, so the raunchy graphics “GTA” is known for likely won’t be popping up on sidewalks anytime soon. In 1996, while campaigning for a new water- front arena, the Miami Heat promised voters they would rent two parcels from the county. On Par- cel A, they would build a brand-new stadium. On Parcel B, they would create a public park. For decades, residents and journalists docu- mented the field as a parking and staging area. Elected officials promised to fund walking paths, shade trees and other amenities, but failed each time. Parcel B was rechristened as Dan Paul Plaza following pandemic-era backlash. Next to noth- ing changed, though — it remained empty and rarely used. Thirty years later, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says she “has allocated those funds toward development of the long- awaited public park at Dan Paul Plaza behind the arena.” “The full $975,000 from the Kaseya Center rooftop display agreement was allocated to the Dan Paul Plaza park project,” the mayor’s com- munications director, Carlos Suarez, told New Times via email. [email protected]