T
he federal case against the Alexander brothers is moving forward. Oren and Alon Alexander made their first appearances in federal court on Friday and will have bond hearings scheduled for December 30. The three brothers, including Tal, will remain in custody until then. Judge Ellen Frances D'Angelo set pre-trial detention hearings for Oren and Alon on the same date, where a judge will decide whether to grant them bail. Attorneys Howard Srebnick and Joel Denaro are representing the twins, with Srebnick also added to Tal's legal team.

    The brothers have been in custody since their arrest in Miami on December 11. Oren and Alon face state charges of sexual battery, which is why they were initially held at a local detention center. They're now being held at the federal detention center in downtown Miami. A federal judge previously denied Tal bail, citing concerns about his flight risk.

    The Alexander brothers are charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, according to an indictment unsealed last week by the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors allege they raped and sexually assaulted over a dozen women spanning more than a decade. The brothers have denied the allegations.

    In related news, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge granted Oren and Alon's request for release on house arrest, but they won't be released until their trial unless a federal judge grants them bail. A family friend, Ohad Fisherman, was also charged with one count of sexual battery in connection to an alleged incident involving the twins in 2016.