Romanian prosecutors have formally indicted influencer Andrew Tate on charges including trafficking of minors, money laundering, and offences involving a minor, following an investigation ongoing for nearly four years. His younger brother, Tristan Tate, was indicted separately for complicity and attempting to obstruct justice. The charges center on the alleged exploitation of a young woman said to be fifteen when first contacted in Britain in 2012, who was later allegedly moved to Bucharest and coerced through violence and psychological intimidation into producing content for online platforms.
Investigators allege the brothers kept about 1.25 million dollars from that content—representing roughly eighty percent of her earnings—and tried laundering some of the money by buying luxury vehicles. This case stems from a broader investigation opened by Romanian authorities in December 2022, after an earlier attempt to bring charges collapsed due to legal and procedural irregularities. The brothers, who are dual US-British citizens and former professional kickboxers, built a large global following before being banned from major social media platforms.
The Tate brothers are currently in custody in the United States after being arrested by US Marshals in Miami in July following a British extradition request regarding separate rape allegations, and a date for their US extradition hearing has not yet been set. Lawyers for the brothers rejected the new Romanian indictment, stating they will challenge the alleged evidentiary and procedural deficiencies in court.