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udge Valerie E. Caproni upheld most of the federal indictment against the Alexander brothers, rejecting the defense’s attempts to downplay the alleged sex‑trafficking scheme. In a statement released on Wednesday, the judge dismissed one trafficking charge because the five‑year statute of limitations had expired, but left the remaining counts intact.

    Caproni criticized the defense’s framing of the conduct as “just men behaving badly,” noting that the indictment alleges a conspiracy by three men—Oren, Tal, and Alon—to lure women and girls to luxury hotels across the United States and abroad. The victims were reportedly drugged, sometimes restrained, and then raped or sexually assaulted. The brothers, who sold high‑end properties in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, remain in custody without bail after pleading not guilty in Manhattan federal court.

    The defense, led by Marc Agnifilo, plans to argue that witnesses will testify that the alleged crimes were merely “date rape” incidents, a claim the judge dismissed as a misrepresentation of the charges. She emphasized that the allegations do not describe isolated sexual assaults that occurred during vacations or parties, but a systematic pattern of exploitation.

    A defense memo claimed that many accusers would lie on the stand, motivated by financial gain or personal circumstances, and that they would deny any consensual involvement with the brothers. Caproni countered that the evidence cited by the defense—such as messages from one accuser—was contradicted by other communications, undermining the credibility of the alleged witnesses.

    The trial is scheduled for early January, though the judge has indicated it could be postponed until May. The defense’s strategy centers on portraying the case as one of group sex and promiscuity, but the judge maintains that the allegations constitute serious sex trafficking, not ordinary sexual encounters.

    In sum, Judge Caproni affirmed the seriousness of the charges, dismissed only the time‑barred count, and rejected the defense’s narrative that the alleged crimes were merely “bad behavior” or “date rape.”