A Miami federal judge denied bond on Friday for one of the Alexander twin brothers, Alon, who is facing charges of forcing dozens of women into sexual acts. The judge expressed concerns that Alon might flee the country to avoid a potential life sentence if convicted.
Both Alon and his twin brother Oren appeared in court for hearings to determine whether they could post a bond over $100 million to secure their release pending trial. Magistrate Judge Eduardo Sanchez denied the bond for Alon, citing the high risk that he might escape to Israel, where the family has strong ties.
The charges against the twins and a third brother, Tal, are serious, with the FBI’s investigation involving 42 women accusing them of rape, and the possibility of life sentences if convicted.
Despite the defense team’s offer to pledge the family’s assets to guarantee Alon’s appearance in court, including private security for monitoring, Sanchez ruled that these measures were insufficient to assure the defendant would not flee. He emphasized the seriousness of the charges and the potential consequences, which made it unlikely that Alon would stay in the U.S. if given the chance.
Oren’s detention hearing was postponed, and it is expected that the outcome for him will mirror Alon’s.
The third brother, Tal, was denied a bond of $115 million last month in a similar case.
All three brothers face accusations of sex trafficking, with the charges spanning from 2010 to 2021 across several locations.
The defense for Alon argued that the brothers’ family was willing to take extraordinary steps to ensure his compliance with court orders, including providing a private security company.
However, prosecutors countered, claiming the proposal was an attempt to use wealth and privilege to avoid detention, pointing to similar high-profile cases where wealthy individuals sought to buy their way out of jail.
Federal prosecutors also stressed that the brothers’ ties to Israel made them a flight risk, as their parents, Alon’s wife, and children are all Israeli citizens.
Alon’s lawyers stated that the family’s financial security should not be penalized and emphasized that the judge’s role is to ensure the safety of the community and guarantee the defendants’ appearance at trial, not to punish them prematurely. Despite these arguments, the judge ruled that Alon’s release was not appropriate due to the substantial flight risk and the severity of the charges against him.
