Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, May 3: Michael Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial on charges related to an international sex trafficking ring, a federal judge ruled on May 2.
Jeffries, 80, who led the fashion giant from 1992 to 2014, along with Matthew Smith, 61, and James Jacobson, 71, were arrested in October 2024. The trio is accused of running an organized prostitution operation involving young male models, coercing them into sex at events in New York and other international locations.
In an April court filing, Jeffries' lawyers revealed that he suffers from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy Body Dementia. They argued that his mental condition made him unable to comprehend the charges against him or participate in his defense.
Following a competency hearing, judge Nusrat J Choudhury of the Eastern District of New York determined that Jeffries was unfit to stand trial and ordered his hospitalization for treatment. The decision included a plan for re-evaluation over the next four months.
Jeffries' legal team has consistently denied the charges, asserting that he is not guilty of any wrongdoing.