The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, is currently facing federal s*x trafficking charges. Jeffries and his life partner Matthew Smith, 61, are claimed to have been running a s*x trafficking and pr*stitution business between 2008 and 2015. While they were taken into police custody earlier this year and then released on bond, Jeffries' attorney has claimed that he has dementia and is unfit for the trial.
According to USA Today, Jeffries' attorney, Brian Bieber, claimed that the former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO's attentiveness, competency, focus, and other skills were not right during their early meetings. He alleged that later, a neuropsychologist diagnosed the 80-year-old with dementia.
However, Brad Edward, the attorney representing Jeffries' alleged victims, has questioned the timeline of the latter's dementia diagnosis. Edward told the news portal that Jeffries saw a doctor after meeting with his defense attorney. He said,
"The timing of Mike Jeffries’s purported health issues is suspicious, to say the least."
"My clients are following this closely, and we intend to provide information to law enforcement pertinent to this competency issue."
"We will hold everyone accountable for the heinous crimes committed against these many young men," Edward added.
Bieber claimed that Jeffries "did not even come close to resembling a Master’s degree-educated individual" in his court filings. He further mentioned that the diagnosis was made in October.
Bieber also urged the court that Jeffries' conditions will worsen over time. Moreover, he argued that Jeffries could not assist in his own defense and could not be tried.
What are the charges Abercrombie & Fitch's former CEO Mike Jeffries is facing?
The case against Mike Jeffries began after BBC published an investigation in October 2023. The investigation claimed that the former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO and his partner Matthew Smith were at the center of an operation that involved a middleman looking for young men for s*xual activities.
US prosecutors further allege that the middleman was 71-year-old James Jacobson, who used coercion and fraud to make aspiring male models engage in s*xual acts. They also claimed that Jeffries used his power, status, and wealth to traffic men for his and his partner's pleasure.
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All three men have pleaded not guilty to the federal s*xual trafficking charges.
If Jeffries is found competent, the case will proceed as decided. However, if he is found incompetent, the charges would have to be dropped. However, Smith and Jacobson may still be tried in the court.
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