Life or the Minimum? How Federal Sentencing Works in the Alexander Brothers Case
The Alexander brothers face 15 years to life at sentencing in Manhattan. Here is how a federal judge picks the number, what victims can say, and what comes after.
October 27, 2026 · 3 min read
By Jocelyn C. Stewart
Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander were back in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Tuesday for sentencing. A jury convicted the three brothers of sex trafficking in March. Prosecutors want life. The defense wants 15 years. As of Tuesday afternoon, no sentence had been reported.
Where things stand. U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni is handling the case, according to The Associated Press, via ABC7 New York and The Real Deal. Prosecutors asked for life for each brother; the defense asked for the 15-year minimum, both outlets report.
The floor and the ceiling. The federal sex trafficking statute sets a range of 15 years to life when force, fraud or coercion is involved. 18 U.S.C. § 1591(b)(1). The judge cannot go below the floor. Everything above it is her call.
The women speak. Federal law gives crime victims the right to be "reasonably heard" at sentencing. 18 U.S.C. § 3771(a)(4). The Real Deal reported that Caproni heard 12 impact statements Tuesday morning. The AP had said nearly a dozen women were expected to speak.
The brothers' position. Through their lawyers, the brothers apologized for conduct they call "insensitive" toward some women, while maintaining their innocence, the AP and NBC 6 South Florida report. The defense plans to appeal, according to The Real Deal and NPR.
Why it matters. A conviction is not the end. Sentencing is its own hearing, with its own evidence, and it can turn on things the jury never heard.
Her law firm's website explains how the military's highest court limited victim impact evidence about uncharged misconduct in United States v. Campos.