The Alexander brothers are accused of paying independent journalists to publish favorable coverage during their sex-trafficking trial. The writers deny that they were asked to show bias, and one said he was paid only to help cover reporting costs.
Tal Alexander, 40, and his twin brothers, Oren and Alon, 39, were convicted in March of conspiring to commit sex crimes, including offenses involving minors. On Oct. 27, each was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors said the brothers worked together and with others to traffic women, repeatedly drugging and sexually assaulting them. Several women are now pursuing civil cases against the brothers.
A report in The New York Times said journalist Daniel Mael received $15,000 to publish sympathetic posts about the brothers during the trial. The report also said publisher Frank Parlato was paid $10,000 for similar coverage.
Mael rejected the claim that he was paid to write favorably about the brothers. He said he reported his own conclusions and declined to discuss the details of his financial arrangement with their publicist, Juda Engelmayer.
In a statement posted Nov. 5, Mael said Engelmayer had offered to help cover some of the costs of reporting on the case. He said no one had asked for positive coverage, dictated his writing or influenced his editorial decisions.
Parlato also declined to say whether he had received payment. He said he had never spoken with the brothers, that no one reviewed his stories before publication and that his reporting was based on court records. He added that he wrote what he believed to be true.
Engelmayer said the brothers had faced extensive, mostly negative coverage before trial, with little attention given to information that might challenge the prevailing view. He said he contacted independent journalists to help ensure the defense perspective was heard and to raise questions he felt other coverage had overlooked.
Mael regularly posted trial updates on Substack, including evidence that he described as damaging to the defense. In one recap, he called a text from Alon Alexander referring to having “taken down a 17-year-old” perhaps the most damning evidence presented that day.
Mael disputed the suggestion that he was biased against prosecution witnesses, saying he had not questioned the motives of the women who testified. He maintained that his coverage was independent and accurate, despite the financial support from Engelmayer.
The Frank Report, Parlato’s online publication, ran articles in July and August 2025 that argued the brothers might be innocent. One piece, titled “What If Everything You’ve Been Told About the Alexander Brothers Case Is Wrong? And Other Matters,” was written by Engelmayer.
The brothers grew up in a wealthy Miami family. Oren and Tal became high-profile real estate agents, selling luxury homes to celebrities and wealthy clients in New York, Miami, Aspen and elsewhere. Alon worked as an executive at Kent Security, the family’s Miami-based security company.
Prosecutors said the brothers used their wealth and social standing to create opportunities to sexually assault women. They allegedly approached women through dating apps, clubs, parties and promoters, then offered trips, luxury stays and access to influential people and celebrities.
According to prosecutors, the women were sometimes isolated, drugged and assaulted by the brothers, either together or alongside other men. Some assaults were recorded.
Eleven women testified at trial. Prosecutors said more than 70 women had come forward with similar accounts. Three women are now pursuing civil claims against the brothers.
At sentencing, the brothers denied drugging, raping or trafficking anyone, while expressing regret about their past behavior. Prosecutors had sought life sentences; the defense requested the 15-year minimum.
Judge Valerie Caproni also ordered each brother to serve 10 years of supervised release. Alon and Oren were fined $300,000 each, while Tal was fined $350,000.
