Alexander Brothers’ Legal Team Claims Morgan & Morgan Engineered Sexual Assault Allegations

Alexander Brothers’ Legal Team Claims Morgan & Morgan Engineered Sexual Assault Allegations

Edited by: TJVNews.com

A high-profile Florida law firm, Morgan & Morgan, is facing allegations of unduly influencing state prosecutors in a sexual-battery case involving two wealthy Miami Beach brothers and their associate. On Saturday, The Miami Herald reported that defense attorneys for Alon and Oren Alexander, along with their colleague Ohad Fisherman, claim that the firm pressured prosecutors into pursuing criminal charges while simultaneously preparing a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit against the accused. As reported by The Miami Herald, the civil case was strategically filed just one day after the defendants were arrested on December 11, leading to accusations that the prosecution was orchestrated to serve the financial interests of Morgan & Morgan and its client.

The report in The Miami Herald highlighted that the defense attorneys have formally challenged the prosecution, asserting that Morgan & Morgan lawyer Carissa Peebles played an outsized role in shaping the case. According to the defense motion, Peebles and her firm actively coordinated witness testimonies, controlled the flow of evidence, and even attended law enforcement interviews. These claims suggest that rather than acting as a neutral third party, Morgan & Morgan functioned as an extension of the prosecution team. Defense attorneys have now petitioned a Miami-Dade circuit judge to compel state prosecutors to disclose any statements from the accuser, her two sisters, and a friend, along with any evidence gathered by the law firm—materials they argue were central to the case brought by Miami-Dade prosecutors.

The defense motion raises crucial legal questions about attorney-client privilege and the extent to which a private law firm can influence criminal proceedings. The motion, filed by Miami attorney Jeffrey Sloman on behalf of Fisherman, argues that Peebles and Morgan & Morgan took an active role in the prosecution by initiating contact with the State Attorney’s Office, conducting interviews before law enforcement, and ensuring that witness statements aligned with their civil lawsuit, according to the information provided in The Miami Herald report. The Alexander brothers’ lawyers, Joel Denaro and Edward J. O’Donnell IV, have endorsed the motion, which asserts that the accuser’s allegations were molded by attorneys whose financial interests hinged on a successful criminal prosecution, as detailed in The Miami Herald report.

The legal battle now moves to a crucial phase, with a hearing scheduled for February 27 before Circuit Court Judge Lody Jean. According to The Miami Herald, the defense team argued that because prosecutors substantially relied on evidence gathered by Morgan & Morgan, they must disclose it as part of the discovery process. This request strikes at the heart of legal ethics, raising the issue of whether the law firm’s dual role in both civil and criminal proceedings violates fundamental principles of fairness in the justice system. The Miami Herald noted that this case could set a precedent on the extent to which private attorneys can influence criminal prosecutions while simultaneously pursuing financial compensation through civil litigation.

In response to the defense’s allegations, Peebles issued a statement, which The Miami Herald quoted as dismissing the accusations as “false and offensive.” She argued that the motion misrepresents the facts and that the law firm was merely advocating for its client’s rights. “Quite simply, Mr. Fisherman is attempting to access information that is protected by attorney-client privilege,” Peebles told The Miami Herald. She further asserted that the accuser came forward independently to cooperate with prosecutors and pursue a civil lawsuit against the defendants in a quest for justice. “Any suggestion otherwise is both false and offensive,” she stated, as reported by The Miami Herald.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has opted not to respond to specific inquiries regarding a recently filed motion in the ongoing legal battle involving defendants Fisherman and the Alexander brothers. As reported by The Miami Herald, Ed Griffiths, spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, stated, “All the pertinent discovery material related to this case will certainly be provided to the defense at the appropriate time.”

While it is common practice for civil attorneys to collaborate with criminal prosecutors in cases that run parallel, the report in The Miami Herald noted that the extent of coordination between the law firm Morgan & Morgan and Miami-Dade prosecutors appeared to be significant. This conclusion is drawn from email exchanges and additional evidence referenced in the defense’s motion to compel discovery.

Legal expert Mason Kerns, a criminal defense attorney with experience in civil litigation, commented that the motion compelling the state attorney’s office to disclose third-party evidence, specifically that belonging to Morgan & Morgan, is a standard legal maneuver. “This is the right motion for them to file,” Kerns told The Miami Herald, asserting that it was not merely a speculative attempt to unearth unrelated evidence. He further described the defense team’s discovery request as “well-reasoned,” suggesting that the motion was strategically aimed at uncovering potentially critical evidence that might influence court proceedings.

At the heart of the legal argument, as The Miami Herald detailed, is the principle of attorney-client privilege, which is solely vested in Morgan & Morgan’s client, the accuser identified as “M.W.” Kerns elaborated that should state prosecutors already possess records from the law firm—including witness statements—those materials should be disclosed to the defense. However, if prosecutors do not have such records in their possession, it falls to the presiding judge to determine whether the defense can gain access to them directly from Morgan & Morgan.

The state’s criminal case and the related civil lawsuit stem from an incident on New Year’s Eve 2016. According to M.W.’s account, she had been invited to a party at the Miami Beach residence of Alon Alexander, located at 59th Street and Collins Avenue. The Miami Herald reported that the woman, who admitted to having had consensual relations with Alon Alexander on two prior occasions in New York City earlier that year, reportedly received text messages from him showing people barbecuing on his balcony and was encouraged to come over.

However, upon her arrival, the situation unfolded differently from what had been suggested in the text messages. M.W. stated that she was met in the lobby by Alon, who accompanied her in an elevator directly to his apartment. Instead of a lively gathering, she found only Alon, his twin brother Oren Alexander, Fisherman, and two women whom she believed to be maids, as was detailed in The Miami Herald report. She alleged that she was led to a bedroom, where the door was locked behind her, and that Fisherman restrained her while Oren and Alon Alexander took turns assaulting her. Upon leaving the apartment via a ride-share service, she claimed she was warned by the Alexander brothers not to speak about the incident.

Fisherman, who runs a hummus catering business, has been criminally charged in the case against M.W., though he is notably absent as a defendant in her civil lawsuit, which names only the Alexander brothers, the report in The Miami Herald noted. Fisherman has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains his innocence.

Oren and Alon, once prominent figures in their respective fields—luxury real estate and security—are now at the center of severe criminal allegations, including sexual battery and rape. Oren has been charged with multiple counts of sexual battery, including accusations stemming from incidents in 2017 and 2021 in Miami Beach, while both he and his twin brother, Alon, are facing charges related to the case of M.W. The Miami Herald report further confirmed that the brothers, along with their elder sibling Tal, are implicated in a federal sex-trafficking conspiracy case in New York, stretching over a decade and involving alleged crimes in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Miami Beach.

The brothers are accused of luring numerous women to private residences, hotels, and gatherings where they allegedly provided them with alcohol laced with drugs before engaging in non-consensual sexual acts. The report in The Miami Herald said that the indictment suggests a calculated and systematic exploitation of victims, who were allegedly rendered incapacitated through these means. Should they be convicted, all three brothers face the possibility of life imprisonment, a testament to the gravity of the charges brought against them in both state and federal courts.

The defense has mounted a robust legal challenge, filing a 16-page motion emphasizing the delayed reporting of M.W.’s accusations—nearly eight years after the alleged incident. The motion underscores that M.W. first disclosed her allegations to an attorney at Morgan & Morgan, a firm renowned for securing over $23 billion in damages across various legal cases. The attorney, Peebles, then initiated contact with Miami-Dade prosecutors while simultaneously preparing a civil lawsuit on behalf of M.W. last fall. The Miami Herald report noted that this intersection of civil and criminal legal strategies has prompted significant contention from the defense.

The defense is demanding access to all statements, emails, memos, and investigative reports connected to Morgan & Morgan and M.W., citing the legal obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence, known as “Brady material.” The motion alleges that Peebles exerted undue influence over the investigation, coordinating closely with prosecutors and even conducting her own investigative work. The Miami Herald report indicated that the motion’s assertion that Peebles played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s case, actively directing law enforcement’s access to witnesses and information.

Peebles contacted the state attorney’s office on September 23, 2024, with discussions escalating rapidly within days. By September 27, Peebles was reportedly in communication with Natalie Snyder, the chief prosecutor for the office’s sexual battery division. With the looming expiration of the eight-year statute of limitations, Snyder sought an immediate statement from M.W. for the Miami Beach police detectives. However, The report in The Miami Herald revealed that Snyder deliberately chose not to be present during M.W.’s interview with detectives, a decision that remains unexplained in the disclosed emails.

Despite Snyder’s absence, Peebles was actively involved in the questioning process, interjecting during critical moments of M.W.’s statement. One of the most contested instances, as cited in the motion, occurred when M.W. initially stated that she took a shower after the alleged rape and that Oren joined her. At this moment, Peebles interrupted to “clarify” who was in the shower. M.W. subsequently revised her statement, naming Alon instead. The Miami Herald reported that the defense has seized upon this discrepancy, accusing Peebles of “correcting” rather than clarifying her client’s testimony, thus shaping the narrative to align with the pre-established legal strategy.

The defense has portrayed Peebles’ actions as an effort to steer M.W. toward a version of events consistent with the pending civil lawsuit, arguing that such interventions compromise the integrity of the criminal investigation. The motion asserts that rather than allowing M.W.’s words to stand on their own, Peebles ensured they conformed to the prosecution’s case, which could have significant ramifications in court.

The unfolding legal case against Alon and Oren Alexander has raised significant questions about prosecutorial conduct and law enforcement practices, as reported by The Miami Herald. One key issue highlighted by The Miami Herald is the role played by detectives in allowing attorney Greg Peebles to steer the interview with M.W., a critical witness in the case. University of Miami law professor Kerns described this as “problematic,” emphasizing that while it was concerning that Peebles exerted influence over the proceedings, the fact that the exchange is now on record provides some measure of accountability.

According to The Miami Herald report, Assistant State Attorney Laura Snyder maintained ongoing communications with Peebles throughout the investigation and subsequent arrests of the Alexander brothers on December 11. Additionally, it was reported that Snyder contacted Evan Torgan, a New York attorney who represented several women who had filed civil lawsuits against the Alexanders alleging sexual assault. However, as The Miami Herald report noted, Torgan was not directly involved in M.W.’s separate civil case.

Further demonstrating the prosecutor’s engagement with legal representatives, The Miami Herald revealed that Snyder sent an email to both Peebles and Torgan on December 12, informing them of the developments in the criminal case. As documented by The Miami Herald, she stated that discussions were underway regarding bond for the Alexander brothers, explaining that, given the nature of the charges, the defendants were legally entitled to bond except in extraordinary circumstances. Snyder also referenced a federal hold, meaning that even if bond was granted, the brothers would be transferred into federal custody.

In an additional legal development Snyder provided copies of the arrest warrants for Alon and Oren Alexander, as well as another individual, Fisherman, to the civil attorneys involved. During this period, another woman, identified as M.S., came forward with allegations that she had also been sexually assaulted by one of the Alexander brothers. The Miami Herald report detailed that M.S. reached out to Snyder via email, inquiring whether the prosecutor could connect her with civil attorneys to initiate legal action.

Snyder responded to M.S. on December 16, supplying contact information for both Peebles and Torgan. Notably, the report in The Miami Herald explained that Snyder made a particular effort to inform M.S. that Torgan was also representing “Florida victims.”