Tate brothers under federal investigation in the Southern District of New York: report

Andrew and Tristan Tate are under federal criminal investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), according to a report from the Daily Mail. 

The existence of the investigation was revealed in a court document filed in Palm Beach County, where the Tates are also suing a woman for defamation after she claimed they had trafficked her, the outlet reported. According to the Daily Mail, the woman’s attorney filed documents with the court on Friday and asked to keep details of the case confidential due to “the United States federal investigation and/or prosecution by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York.” 

“Until the United States federal investigation and/or prosecution by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York of Andrew and Tristan Tate has concluded, the entire document the Defendants’ and Counterclaimant Jane Doe’s Emergency Motion to Stay Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1595(b)(1) Related to United States Federal Investigation of Andrew and Tristan Tate should be confidential and sealed,” the filing reportedly said.

The Daily Mail noted that because the civil case centers around claims of human trafficking, the federal probe in New York could be connected to those same allegations. Attorney Joseph McBride, who represents the Tates, did not confirm the federal investigation but said in a statement, “Appearances can be deceiving. We're not worried about anything.”

McBride also wrote on X regarding the court filing, “Pathetic delay tactics by a group of weak lawyers running from a fight in the Florida Defamation Case, because they know the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side. The SDNY is subject to Washington. Washington is not involved. We are not worried. Nothing changes. Our march to victory continues.”

British lawyer Matthew Jury, who represents four of the brothers’ accusers, wrote on social media, “Andrew and Tristan Tate’s civil action in Florida against one of their alleged trafficking victims has been stayed at the request of the US authorities. Why? Because the Tates are now the subject of a Federal investigation and/ or prosecution by the DOJ for the Southern District of New York.”

“To be clear, this is separate from Florida’s criminal investigation of the Tates. This means the Tates are now the subject of criminal investigations in five separate jurisdictions: Romania, the UK, Florida, California, and the US,” Jury added.

The two brothers are facing allegations elsewhere. In the UK, they have been charged with rape and human trafficking and are the targets of a $27 million tax evasion lawsuit filed by British authorities, the Daily Mail reported. In Romania, they have charges of rape, human trafficking, and organized crime, and are being investigated for trafficking and sex with minors. Florida’s attorney general has launched a separate criminal investigation, and victims have filed civil lawsuits.

The mounting allegations come as Andrew Tate’s ex-girlfriend, Brianna Stern, has filed a civil suit accusing him of assault and battery. Stern has claimed that her relationship with Andrew “took a dark turn” and that he had physically abused her, threatened to rape and kill her, and subjected her to repeated harassment. She filed a complaint with the Beverly Hills Police Department and is seeking a restraining order against him.