Florida has launched a felony investigation into British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who flew to the state final week from Romania, the place they confronted rape and human-trafficking costs.
Florida’s legal professional normal, James Uthmeier, mentioned investigators have issued search warrants and subpoenas as a part of a “now-active” inquiry.
Within the US, the brothers additionally face a civil swimsuit from a lady alleging they coerced her into intercourse work, after which defamed her after she gave proof to Romanian authorities. They strongly deny all of the allegations towards them.
A former kickboxer and self-described misogynist who appeared on UK TV present Large Brother, Andrew Tate has tens of millions of followers on-line.
Andrew, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, face separate costs within the UK of rape and human trafficking. They deny these allegations too.
Uthmeier, a Republican, mentioned in Tuesday’s assertion: “Final week, I directed my workplace to work with our regulation enforcement companions to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate.
“Primarily based on a radical evaluation of the proof, I’ve directed the Workplace of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and problem subpoenas within the now-active felony investigation into the Tate brothers.”
The Tate brothers’ lawyer Joseph McBride launched a press release later Tuesday on the investigation.
“At the moment, Legal professional Common James Uthmeier threw ethics regulation out of the window when he publicly took a facet in an ongoing Florida lawsuit the place Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida lady for orchestrating a complicated plot to make use of intercourse as a weapon to smash their lives,” the assertion learn partially.
Mr McBride referred to as the legal professional normal’s feedback “inflammatory” and “biased”.
The Tates have been first arrested in Romania in December 2022, with Andrew accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan suspected of human trafficking. They moved to Romania from the UK a number of years in the past.
They each denied the costs and spent a number of months below home arrest. A yr later, in August 2024, they confronted new allegations together with intercourse with a minor and trafficking underage individuals, all of which they deny.
The Tates are understood to be required to return to Bucharest on the finish of March to fulfill prosecutors’ phrases; nevertheless, it’s too early to say whether or not they may comply.
Police within the English county of Bedfordshire are nonetheless in search of Andrew’s extradition on separate and unrelated allegations of rape and human trafficking, in addition to tax evasion.
Within the UK, 4 British girls have filed a civil case towards Andrew Tate within the nation’s Excessive Courtroom, alleging he raped and coercively managed them, costs additionally they deny.
These plaintiffs mentioned it was clear he wouldn’t face felony prosecution in Romania and appealed to UK authorities to take motion.