Sexual battery charges against Ohad Fisherman, suspected associate of Oren and Alon Alexander, have been dismissed by the state prosecutors. Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney, revealed that they were unable to proceed with the charges against Fisherman due to a drone footage which potentially places him elsewhere during the alleged sexual assault incident on New Year’s Eve 2016.
As an experienced real estate professional, Fisherman had prior professional affiliations with Oren and Tal Alexander. Regarding the accusation, it was alleged that he restrained a woman while Oren and Alon Alexander engaged in non-consensual sexual activities in an apartment located in Miami Beach owned by the Alexander brothers.
Rundle highlighted the crucial requisite of the suspect’s presence at the crime scene for it to qualify as viable evidence. The said drone footage thus raises questions on Fisherman’s involvement, casting a shadow of doubt on the allegations against him.
The State Attorney’s statement also commended the bravery exhibited by the female victim, noting the trauma of such personal violation and the scrutiny that often involves unwarranted questioning of the victim’s motives. These elements add an extra layer of hardship for individuals coming forward to report such incidents.
At a press conference held at his attorney’s office in the heart of Miami, Fisherman denied entering a plea agreement with the state attorney’s office. Placed alongside an image of the accuser and her family from mere hours after the alleged instance, Fisherman emphasized that charges against him were dropped due to lack of proof, not compromise.
While Fisherman’s charges have been dropped, the state is still proceeding with the cases against Oren and Alon Alexander. Both brothers are facing serious allegations, with Oren being implicated in three separate supposed instances of sexual assault and Alon involved in the case with Fisherman.
The Alexander brothers are expected to face their state trial following the resolution of a federal court case in New York. The federal charges pertain to sex trafficking and put the Alexanders alongside their older sibling, Tal, under scrutiny. Presently, they are detained at the Brooklyn Detention Center in New York.
Criminal defense lawyer Michelle Suskauer, unassociated with the cases, offered her perspective on the dismissal of Fisherman’s charge. She pointed out the potential impact on the credibility of the victim and by extension, the remaining cases against Oren and Alon Alexander, given that the charge involving the person allegedly restraining the victim was dismissed.
The day Fisherman’s trial was due to commence, the state abandoned its case against him. Despite this, Fisherman could be called upon as a witness, suggested Suskauer. With his reputation on the line, Fisherman and his legal team now face the challenge of repair and recovery.
His attorney, Jeffrey Sloman raised poignant questions about his client’s prospects of returning to normal life and reestablishing himself as a businessperson, given the lasting impact of the accusations on Fisherman’s reputation even though he has been cleared of charges.
Fisherman ventured to establish his own brokerage in the fall of last year, shortly after the accusations against the Alexanders became public knowledge. Prior to this, he was affiliated with Oren and Tal’s enterprise, Official, as well as the noteworthy Douglas Elliman where the Alexanders harnessed their real estate operations.
Michelle Suskauer, although uninvolved, reiterated the difficulty of restoring a tarnished reputation once labeled with a crime. This is especially true, she mentioned, in cases that involve accusations of sexual assault such as Fisherman’s, even in the event that the accused has been fully exonerated.
With the cloud of charges now lifted, Fisherman faces the uphill battle of reclaiming his earlier reputation and restoring his damaged personal and professional life. The stain of the allegations, while erased in the legal perspective, may continue to loom over his future endeavors.