Sexual Battery Charges Against Ohad Fisherman Dismissed Due to Insufficient Evidence
The sexual battery accusation against Ohad Fisherman, who was said to be involved with Oren and Alon Alexander, has seen a significant development. Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney, released a statement explaining that her office would not be able to substantiate the case against Fisherman. Evidence, in the form of drone footage, suggests Fisherman might have been aboard a boat when the alleged sexual assault took place on the last day of 2016.
Fisherman, who is engaged in the real estate business and was once a close associate of Oren and Tal Alexander, was reportedly accused of physically restraining a woman. While he allegedly did so, it is said that Oren and Alon alternatively assaulted her in one of their apartments located in Miami Beach. However, the existence of video evidence that might show Fisherman elsewhere at the time raises reasonable doubt.
The State Attorney’s statement opens up about the complexities of proving the defendant’s presence at the crime scene, which is usually crucial to substantiate a crime. However, in this case, the video evidence could potentially refute that. Rundle acknowledged the bravery of the alleged victim and expressed regret about the common yet unfair public scrutiny that often associates victims with questionable intentions.
Fisherman made a public appearance one day after the accusations against him were dismissed, during a press conference at his lawyer’s premises in Miami’s city center. Seated beside a large image of the alleged victim, along with a friend and her sisters, taken just hours post the alleged incident, Fisherman stated unequivocally that he had made no agreement with the state attorney’s office.
He was clear in asserting that his charge was dropped due to the state acknowledging that he hadn’t committed the alleged crime. Still, while his case may be over, charges remain against Oren and Alon Alexander. Oren is tied to three separate accusations of sexual assault, whereas Alon has been implicated in the charge involving Fisherman.
The NPC is currently preparing for the Alexanders’ state-level trial, which is expected to commence following federal court proceedings pertaining to sex trafficking charges in New York. The two defendants, along with their elder sibling, Tal, are presently held at Brooklyn Detention Center in New York.
Opinions about the repercussions of Fisherman’s case dismissal on the Alexanders’ case are being expressed. Criminal defense attorney Michelle Suskauer, who does not represent any party involved, believes this turns the focus towards the alleged victim’s credibility. She warned that should the victim be found to be mistaken about Fisherman’s involvement, this could critically affect her trustworthiness.
It was on the day the trial against Fisherman was set to begin when the charges against him were dropped, a turn of events that resulted in the trial’s postponement. However, Fisherman could still be summoned as a witness in the trials against the Alexanders, according to Suskauer.
Following this episode, Fisherman now faces an uphill battle to reestablish his reputation. His attorneys shared strong concerns on Tuesday. ‘How can Ohad eliminate the lingering smell of this case from public memory? How can he reconstruct himself as a reputable businessman?’, Jeffrey Sloman, one of his lawyers asked.
Last fall, after the Alexanders’ sexual assault allegations became widely known, Fisherman founded his own brokerage. He has past associations with Oren and Tal’s company, Official, as well as Douglas Elliman, which played an instrumental role in shaping the Alexanders’ real estate business.
The complexities of recovering from an accusation, even when comprehensively cleared, is something Suskauer highlights as a deep-seated issue. Once someone has been accused of a crime, she says, it leaves an indelible mark on that person. The challenges are particularly steep when it comes to restoring a reputation tarnished by accusations of sexual assault.