The key facts

  • Tal (40) and twins Oren and Alon (39) Alexander were found guilty in March of raping women they drugged
  • Each was sentenced to 30 years on some counts and 20 years on others, with the terms to run concurrently
  • The defense sought 15 years, the prosecution sought life; the brothers continue to insist on their innocence

Sentencing in New York

A federal court in New York has sentenced the three Alexander brothers — Tal (40) and twins Oren and Alon (39) — to 30 years in prison each for drugging and raping dozens of women over decades. This was reported by BBC News, whose correspondent reported from the courtroom. Before handing down the sentence, Judge Valerie Caproni stated: 'Your conduct was monstrous,' and that the brothers' crimes 'destroyed the lives' of the victims.

What the court established

In March, the jury found the brothers guilty of using their wealth and social status to lure women to parties and luxury homes, where they raped them. According to the prosecution, the scheme began in their school years, and the case concerned crimes from 2008: the brothers drugged drinks, 'physically restrained victims during rapes and ignored screams and direct demands to stop.' Over five weeks of the trial, 11 women — some of whom said they were minors at the time of the attacks — described how the brothers gave them gifts and took them on trips, including to Aspen and the Bahamas. The defense argued that the sex was consensual and that the brothers were 'playboys, not rapists.'

Victim statements and the parties' positions

On Tuesday morning, the court heard 12 victims, including one who had not testified at the trial. Many asked for the maximum sentence — life imprisonment. Maya Miller said that after being raped by Tal Alexander in 2014, she lost her sense of safety: 'I carry within me the quiet funeral of the person I could have become.' A woman under the pseudonym Aysa Brooks said she was raped by Tal and Alon at 16, while another stated that when she tried to report the crime, Tal threatened her, saying he knew where her sister worked. Prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa demanded the maximum punishment, noting that the brothers 'spent years honing methods of luring women with promises of luxury.' The defense lawyers asked for 15 years, arguing that the defendants had become devoted fathers. The brothers themselves, continuing to insist on their innocence, spoke in court; Tal Alexander described his behavior as 'work hard, play hard.' Judge Caproni rebuked them for not acknowledging guilt, asking: 'How can someone be rehabilitated if they never admitted what they did?'

Who the brothers are and what was known earlier

Tal and Oren Alexander made their fortune selling luxury real estate in New York and Miami: they worked at Douglas Elliman with clients such as Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and in 2022 founded their own New York firm, Official. Alon worked at the family security firm Kent Security. The BBC previously reported on the guilty verdict in March, and in January — on the death in Australia of a woman who had accused the twins of sexual assault; the report on the sentencing references these materials without giving details of the deceased woman's case.

A court sketch shows real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander and their brother Alon in yellow prison uniforms sitting in court. The brother on the left side is wiping a tear with a tissue.Image source, REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image caption,

Real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander and their brother Alon, listen as their lawyers argue for a lesser sentence on their behalf in New York

The three Alexander brothers shown on a justice department charging documentImage source, Getty Images
A court sketch of a woman in a blue suit with glasses and long brown hair tied back in a ponytail addressing a courtroom while three men in khaki prison jumpsuits sit watching.Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa addresses the court and argues for a life sentence during the sentencing of real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander and their brother Alon

This sketch shows the Alexander brothers in court. Both are wearing suitsPhotographs of Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander displayed prior to a news conference in New York.