Northeast
Alexander brothers learn fate in federal sex trafficking trial
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Real estate moguls Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother, Alon Alexander, were found guilty in federal court of sex trafficking and related offenses, marking a dramatic fall for the once-prominent luxury brokers.
A jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, inducement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and multiple counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
In his closing argument on March 3, prosecutor Andrew Jones said the brothers masqueraded as party boys but really were predators towards women.
“They used a consistent playbook to lure, isolate and rape their victims,” Jones said. “They did it with callousness and a perverse sense of pride.”
ALEXANDER BROTHERS ACCUSED OF CRUISE SHIP SEX ABUSE AHEAD OF REAL ESTATE MOGULS’ TRAFFICKING TRIAL
Oren Alexander and his twin brother, Alon, attend a bond hearing after being charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape, at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP, Pool)
Throughout the four weeks of testimony, Tal, Oren and Oren’s twin, Alon Alexander, who was an executive at his family’s private security firm, vehemently denied the sex crime charges against them, as well as other allegations.
Prosecutors allege the brothers orchestrated a yearslong pattern of sexual abuse involving numerous women across multiple states. The defense argued that the encounters were consensual and that the government had overreached.
Oren Alexander and Tal Alexander speak at a panel at the Rockstars of Real Estate Event, Sept. 3, 2013, in New York. (Amy Sussman/Invision for DETAILS Magazine/AP Images, File)
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Eleven women, including several who said they were minors at the time of the incidents, testified against the brothers, alleging they gave them gifts and flew them to locations and parties where they were given drugs before assaulting them.
Oren Alexander, 37, center, and his twin brother, Alon, center-right, speak to their attorney Joel Denaro during their bond hearing after being charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape, at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP, Pool)
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U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the verdict marks a significant step in combating sex crimes, calling the brothers’ conduct “calculated, brutal sexual abuse that, unimaginably, the defendants celebrated.”
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
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Viral video shows Morgan Wallen throwing fan’s phone
Country singer Morgan Wallen grabbed and threw a fan’s phone across the stage during his concert in Pittsburgh.
Hours before the second show of his two-night stint in Pittsburgh on June 6, Morgan Wallen canceled his show due to bad weather, a decision he said he and his team made after consulting Pittsburgh officials.
The storm that caused the cancellation ended up hitting Western Pennsylvania but left the city unscathed. Since the decision, Wallen has received backlash from fans and Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, who claims Wallen’s team did not contact city officials before the decision to cancel the show.
“After talking with local officials and my team, there is no choice but to cancel tonight’s show due to severe adverse weather conditions expected throughout the rest of the day and night,” Wallen said in his post. “Safety for my fans and crew is the highest priority.”
The “I’m The Problem” singer added that tickets would be refunded.
Why exactly did Morgan Wallen cancel his Pittsburgh show?
Wallen canceled his show due to weather, but the storm he and his team believed would impact his concert ended up moving away from the city.
While the storm didn’t hit Pittsburgh, thousands of people across Western Pennsylvania lost power over the weekend due to high winds, severe storms, tornadoes and flash flooding on June 6, according to Action 4 News.
Fans also speculated that weather had nothing to do with the decision but instead had to do with Wallen throwing a security guard’s phone into the crowd the night before on June 5.
How did Morgan Wallen respond to the backlash?
Responding to the rumors and disgruntled fans, Wallen posted an Instagram story on June 6.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air,” Wallen started in his story post, reported by USA TODAY. “I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it.”
“This morning, my team walked on my bus, told me that they had been consulting with local officials, and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh (Saturday night),” he continued. “And I said, ‘Why?’ They said that there was gonna be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So that’s what I did.”
“(T)he truth of the matter is, I have a large stage and in those conditions, it could become fatal to a lot of folks around it,” Wallen said. “So I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment.”
What did Pittsburgh’s mayor say about Morgan Wallen’s cancellation?
Following the cancellation, O’Connor sat down with local radio station KDKA on June 8 and disclosed that nobody from Wallen’s team reached out to city officials for consultation on their decision.
“There was no contact to Public Safety or my administration so however the artist and his team picked to not have the show, that was on them, there was no consulting for Public Safety or the City of Pittsburgh,” said O’Connor.
“If you’re going to say that you consulted . . . that’s one story, we, again, had no record of that from public safety director, all the way down,” he added.
Wallen nor any members of his team have responded to Mayor O’Connor’s claims.
Wallen is not scheduled to come to Nashville on the remainder of his current “I’m The Problem Tour.”
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at PBurditt@nashvill.gannett.com
Connecticut
Experts issue pet safety reminders during stretches of high heat, humidity in Connecticut
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — As high heat and humidity stretch across Connecticut for the next couple of days, experts are warning pet owners that this weather can be tough on their furry friends.
Old Lyme Veterinary Hospital chief surgeon Dr. Cornelius Marrinan joined News 8 live with some safety reminders on Thursday.
To watch the full video, click on the player above.
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