The Subject Of A 2025 FBI Raid In Seven Bridges May Face A New Trial.
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Ron Frankel, the 68 year old man accused of flying a teen girl from Des Moines to Delray Beach for a weekend of sex in his Seven Bridges home may find himself again facing prison. Just weeks after a mistrial in his federal trial, federal prosecutors are preparing to re-file criminal charges.
As BocaNewsNow.com reported exclusively on February 26th, two female jurors refused to convict Frankel after a multi-day trial — saying the teen girl made her own decision when she got on a plane and flew to PBI after meeting Frankel on Tinder. The girl, according to documents reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com, was seeking a “sugar daddy” on the dating website.
But prosecutors say the girl wouldn’t have gone anywhere if Frankel hadn’t lured her online. Frankel was accused of transporting a teen over state lines for sex — a felony. But attorneys for Frankel said he only provided the money for the plane ticket but didn’t arrange or provide transportation. Defense attorneys also argued that Frankel believed the girl was 18 — the minimum age for creating a Tinder account.
In a statement to BocaNewsNow.com, Frankel’s attorneys wrote: “The complaining witness admitted that she lied to Tinder about her age, lied to Ron about her age, lied to other men about her age, lied to her own mom, and even lied to the jury,” said Frankel’s attorneys. “She also admitted that she wanted a sugar daddy and could have ended this relationship at any moment. She said she made the decision to travel to Florida. Ron did not cause her to do so.” The statement is signed David Oscar Markus, Lauren Krasnoff, and Lauren Perez at the Markus/Moss law firm.
A juror speaking with BocaNewsNow.com said that jurors overall found the alleged victim and her mother to be “completely unlikable,” but said that shouldn’t be a reason for Frankel to be exonerated. The juror told BocaNewsNow.com that the panel voted 10-2 to convict. After days of deliberation, a mistrial was declared. Both federal prosecutors and attorneys for Frankel have now filed motions arguing why a new case should — or should not — move forward.
