The Alexander brothers have settled into life at New York City’s federal detention center, where they have been held since early 2025.
In fact, they are asking to remain there.
All three brothers were sentenced last week to 30 years in federal prison after a jury convicted them in March of sex-trafficking offenses. Prosecutors said they drugged and raped women as part of a scheme that continued for more than a decade. The brothers continue to deny the allegations.
After sentencing, inmates are generally transferred from facilities such as the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, or MDC, to permanent prisons. MDC primarily houses people awaiting trial or sentencing.
But in an October 30 court filing, lawyers for twins Oren and Alon, both 39, and their older brother Tal, 40, asked the judge to let them stay at MDC during the appeals process, which could last for years. Judge Valerie Caproni had already rejected the request during sentencing on October 27.
Defense attorney Deanna Paul urged the judge to reconsider, citing “unique circumstances.” She argued that many of the issues raised on appeal applied to all three brothers and that their attorneys needed to meet with them together.
Judge Caproni rejected the request again on November 2, saying the brothers would have between 60 and 90 days before being transferred. She told the attorney bluntly to “make efficient use of the time.”
However, people close to the brothers have described their conditions at MDC to Our News Outlet, suggesting they may have other reasons for wanting to stay.
Oren Alexander, 37, (in red) and his twin brother (in green), Alon, were sentenced to 30 years in prison along with their older brother, Tal
The brothers are drawing on their Jewish faith behind bars. They are pictured in Israel wearing tefillin, traditionally worn during prayer by more observant and Orthodox Jews
Rabbi Chaim Pollack, a prison chaplain who visits the siblings every other day, said they had formed friendships with about 30 other Jewish inmates. The group eats and prays together.
“It is a community and they all look out for each other. They have Shabbos [the Jewish Sabbath] meals together and attend services. There is a very tight bond,” Pollack said.
The group meets twice a week for services in the prison chapel.
“Usually on Sundays there are religious services, with a rabbi coming in, and Thursdays as well,” Pollack said. “All the Jews get together. It is like a two-hour service.”
Pollack was introduced to the brothers by Oren’s cellmate, David Motovich, a convicted fraudster who operated a multimillion-dollar check-cashing scheme.
“I am usually at MDC from 9am to 3.30pm. I see a whole range of people. Sometimes I see the brothers exclusively, and I usually visit them every other day,” Pollack said.
“Some visits last just an hour, while others have gone on for more than four hours. It depends on what needs to be done.”
Pollack, who also assists the brothers with legal matters, said: “Sometimes we need to type an email that will be sent later. You cannot use the internet inside the visiting room, so the only thing I can do is prepare material to send out later. We prepare and research together, and that takes time.”
Happier times: The family pictured on vacation in 2022. From front left: mother Orly, Alon and his wife, Shani, Arielle Alexander and her ex Tal, Oren and his wife Kamila, and father Shlomy
The brothers apologized at sentencing for living philandering, debauched lifestyles but denied drugging or raping anyone. A photo released by the court shows the three brothers partying on a boat with one alleged victim redacted
Alongside his spiritual and legal support, Pollack said he tries to make life at the detention center as comfortable as possible.
For instance, he arranged for kosher food to be added to the prison’s vending machines.
“Sometimes we have kosher food, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and sometimes bagels and lox,” he said. “Non-Jewish inmates have burgers and pizza. Why shouldn’t you have kosher food?”
For Hanukkah, Pollack arranged latkes with applesauce and sour cream, along with doughnuts. “There is no reason to suffer more than you have to,” he said.
The brothers are also concerned that a transfer could separate them.
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Judge Caproni has recommended that they serve their sentences at different facilities, saying their crimes indicate they are a “bad influence” on one another. Several victims alleged that multiple brothers raped them at the same time.
Pollack warned that the brothers could be particularly vulnerable if they were sent to separate prisons because of their wealth and public profile. Wealthy inmates, he said, can be viewed as sources of money or commissary goods.
“You have to understand that at MDC they have a very close Jewish community within the prison. One inmate looks out for another. They only have each other.”
Pollack said the brothers had increasingly relied on each other and their Jewish friends for protection after two of them were attacked.
Our News Outlet understands that Alon and Tal were working on computers in the library before sentencing when another inmate suddenly charged into the area.
The inmate, who had allegedly harassed them previously, was stopped by an officer and sprayed with pepper spray before reaching the brothers. The incident left both men shaken and more alert to their surroundings.
Juda Engelmayer, the Alexander family’s public relations strategist, who speaks regularly with the brothers, said their relatives were worried about what would happen after a transfer.
“We don’t know what will happen when they are moved,” he said. MDC is convenient for their New York-based legal and appeals teams and allows the brothers to spend more time together. “I think it is simply better for them under the current circumstances.”
Another advantage of remaining in Brooklyn is that the brothers’ families can travel from Miami to visit regularly. MDC also appears to allow flexibility over visiting times and physical contact.
Alon Alexander with his wife Shani Zigron, who is standing by him despite his conviction
Oren’s wife, Kamila Alexander, is also standing by him. She and the brothers’ parents were asked to stay away from sentencing to spare them “heartache”
“The family tries to make it every Friday, more or less,” Pollack said.
“They let you hug the children. Maybe this is not for a rabbi to say, but they let the brothers kiss their wives. They can comfort one another, and the visits last more than an hour, which is a good amount of time.”
He said the facility had also accommodated Jewish visitors who observe Shabbat, which begins at sundown on Friday.
“There is a special memo. It took a while to get approved, but Jewish visitors can come in at 10 o’clock on Friday mornings,” Pollack said.
With their request to remain at MDC denied, the brothers are now seeking placement at a prison in Florida, closer to their families and children.
Pollack said their young families were helping them cope with the lengthy sentences.
He said Alon’s wife brought their two daughters, aged four and six, to visit last Friday, just days after sentencing.
“Alon was being a father,” Pollack said. “He was playing with them. There were some toys.”
Tal and his soon-to-be ex-wife Arielle, who is in the process of divorcing him
Tal, who is going through a divorce, has struggled most with being separated from his son. “It is difficult because he does not see his son,” Pollack said. He added that Tal remained optimistic about marrying again. Oren married Brazilian model Kamila Hansen in 2023, and they have one son together.
With at least 60 more days at MDC, the brothers expect to remain close to their families through Thanksgiving and Chanukah—one less concern as they prepare their appeals.
“The fear of the unknown is over now. They know where they stand,” Pollock said.
He said the brothers felt relief “that the charade is over and they can focus on what needs to be done.”
“Thirty years is not a joke. They are still optimistic. That is the Jewish faith, and they are working on their appeal.”
