A federal judge denied Andrew and Tristan Tate’s request to be released from a Florida jail on bail while their extradition process to the United Kingdom, where they face dozens of charges including rape and assault, plays out.
Key Facts
- U.S. magistrate judge Lauren Louis denied the Tates’ motion on Wednesday, saying the brothers “failed to meet their burden to demonstrate that they do not present a risk of flight or danger to the community.”
- The Tates have been held in a Miami jail since July following their arrest in the United States, which came shortly after British authorities announced a slew of new charges against the brothers and said they would seek extradition.
- Louis said the “nature of the offenses alleged” against the Tates, which include counts of rape and assault, show the brothers “do indeed pose dangers to the community.”
- She said the Tates failed to prove they are not flight risks, citing an audio recording of Andrew Tate saying he has “identification documents issued by different countries as a method of evading law enforcement,” as well as the Tates’ extensive ties abroad.
- Louis also rebuffed the Tates’ argument that their detention would prevent them from properly defending themselves in their Romanian criminal case, citing the prosecutors’ argument that the Tates have access to video conferencing calls with their lawyer and Romanian courts.
Prosecutors Argued The Tates Should Remain In Jail
In a court filing last month, prosecutors argued the Tates should not be released on bail, citing many of their own statements and social media posts. They offered multiple examples of the Tates boasting about their allegedly exorbitant wealth and multiple passports, which prosecutors argued renders them flight risks. Prosecutors cited a video in which Andrew Tate boasted he has “seven passports” and “15 driver’s licenses,” and if he is stopped by law enforcement, he will “pull out a license from some random country” to mask his identity. Prosecutors also cited posts in which Andrew Tate called himself “above the law” and mocked his U.K. charges. “The Court need not look much further than the TATES’ own social media posts to understand the great lengths they have gone to avoid detection by government,” prosecutors said.
What Did The Tate Brothers Argue?
The Tate brothers’ defense attorneys argued the brothers are not flight risks and that their high profiles and ongoing criminal proceedings abroad constitute “special circumstances” that warrant release. Their lawyers argued the Tates have complied with pretrial restrictions in Romania, where they were charged with rape and human trafficking. “Every prediction the government now asks this Court to make about the brothers’ future conduct — that they will flee if released — has already been made and answered by three years of data showing that they do not flee,” their lawyers said. The Tates’ Romanian defense counsel, Eugen Constantin Vidineac, argued in a court filing last week the Tates should be released on bail because keeping them in jail prevents them from meeting with their lawyers and participating in their Romanian criminal proceedings.
What Are The Tates Charged With?
The Tates were arrested in July after British authorities announced 38 new charges against the Tates, adding to the 21 charges prosecutors had already filed. Andrew Tate’s new charges include seven counts of rape, three counts of human trafficking, three counts of assault and 19 charges related to child and extreme pornography, while Tristan’s include one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of trafficking. Last week, Romanian prosecutors issued a new indictment charging Andrew Tate with trafficking minors, sex with a minor and money laundering, while Tristan Tate was indicted for complicity.
What To Watch For
British authorities face a Sept. 16 deadline to submit an extradition request to the U.S. State Department. The Tates have vowed to fight the extradition proceedings in court. Extradition is subject to State Department approval, and the White House previously said it would not intervene in the process.
This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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