Abercrombie & Fitch ex-CEO has dementia and could 'blurt out' during sex trafficking trial, defense to argue this week
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- A competency hearing is set to begin Tuesday in the sex trafficking case against Michael Jeffries.
- His lawyers hope to prove the ex-CEO of retail giant Abercrombie & Fitch is mentally unfit for trial.
- They say he has dementia and could "blurt out self-incriminating statements" in front of a jury.
As CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch some 20 years ago, Michael Jeffries helmed an international retail giant whose advertising was steeped in racy images of beachside adventure and shirtless young men.
On Tuesday, Jeffries, 81, must appear in a Long Island courtroom for a sex trafficking case that alleges he used his power and wealth to abuse dozens of aspiring male models.
Jeffries' lawyers are set to argue during three days of hearings this week that their client, now 81, is mentally incompetent to be tried on those charges.
The ex-CEO, who pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2024, has Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia, a neurodegenerative disease, his lawyers say. Jeffries also suffers continuing effects from a traumatic brain injury, they say; three defense experts are poised to testify.
A shopper leaves the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store on Saville Row in London in 2007.Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Should he be required to stand trial — jury selection is scheduled to start October 26 — Jeffries would not understand the proceedings or be able to assist in his defense, his lawyers have said.
His dementia may even disrupt the trial, they argue.
Jeffries is prone to memory lapses and "inappropriate behavior" that could spill over into the courtroom, his lawyers warned in a court filing last year.
"He may blurt out self-incriminating statements or engage in erratic behavior, which would undermine his credibility and risk prejudicing the judge or jury against him," they wrote.
Prosecutors counter that Jeffries's condition has improved after more than four months of mental health treatment and evaluation at a federal correctional institution in Butner, North Carolina.
They plan to present testimony from three experts during the three-day hearing to prove he is now competent to stand trial.
They may also present some of more than 100 audio recordings of phone calls between Jeffries and his romantic partner, Matthew Smith — a co-defendant in the case — from Jeffries' time at Butner.
Matthew Smith, romantic partner of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries, leaves court on Long Island in 2024 after pleading not guilty to sex trafficking.Bryan R. SMITH / AFP
Prosecutors allege that Jeffries, Smith, and their employee, co-defendant James Jacobson, ran an international sex trafficking and prostitution business that targeted men who were young, financially insolvent, and eager to become models for the top brand.
The alleged victims were abused between 2008 and 2015 in a series of attacks at drug-fueled "sex events" across the US and at luxury hotels in Europe, Morocco, and Saint Barthelemy, according to a 2024 indictment.
Smith and Jacobson have also pleaded not guilty to the charges. All three are currently free on bail.
James Jacobson, charged in the Abercrombie & Fitch sex trafficking case, leaves court on Long Island in 2024 after pleading not guilty.Adam Gray/ AFP
Jeffries earned "tens of millions of dollars per year" at the height of his career, prior to his retirement in 2014, according to prosecutors. He has posted $10 million bail.
Prosecutors have seized more than $11 million in cash from a trust fund controlled by Jeffries, according to court records.
All three defendants face a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence and as much as life in prison if convicted.
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