Federal Courts and Criminal Justice

In the federal sex‑trafficking trial in Manhattan of brothers Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander — which moved into jury selection and opening statements amid a late superseding indictment adding a 2012 incident and the recent death of an early accuser — the first witness testifying under the pseudonym “Katie Moore” said she met Tal and Alon at a 2012 party at actor Zac Efron’s apartment, ingested alcohol and Molly, and awoke naked with Alon atop her, alleging she repeatedly refused and was raped while Tal briefly entered and did not intervene. Defense attorney Teny Geragos countered that the encounters were consensual “hookup culture,” contending accusers later recast consensual sex as assaults out of regret or for financial gain.

A federal judge in Brooklyn has sentenced Timothy McCormack to two years in prison, the first prison term arising from the wide‑ranging NBA‑linked betting and poker‑cheating scandal unveiled last fall. Prosecutors say McCormack defrauded sports‑betting platforms by using non‑public information about NBA players allegedly in on the scheme to place highly profitable wagers, while court filings describe a parallel operation in which conspirators used altered card‑shuffling machines, electronic chip‑tray analyzers, invisible card markings and special contact lenses to rig high‑stakes poker games. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. has called it 'one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States,' and the investigation has already ensnared former NBA figures Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones, who prosecutors say were used as celebrity draws for the fixed games. At sentencing, McCormack told the court he has struggled with gambling addiction for more than half his life, and Judge DeArcy Hall acknowledged the addiction while stressing that the conduct was serious enough to warrant prison time. The case underscores mounting concern in Washington and on Wall Street that legalized sports betting and high‑tech gambling equipment are creating new avenues for corruption that could undermine public confidence in professional leagues and wagering markets.

Jury will hear closing arguments in the federal trial of Juan Espinoza Martinez in Chicago, accused of an alleged murder‑for‑hire plot against Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino based largely on Snapchat messages offering $2,000 for information and “10k if u take him down” alongside a photo that were sent to his brother and to informant Adrian Jimenez, who testified he reported them to Homeland Security. Judge Joan Lefkow barred prosecutors from portraying Martinez as a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings; the defense, which rested without calling Martinez, says the messages were neighborhood gossip, jokes or anger about immigration policy rather than a real plot.