Ex-Abercrombie CEO unfit for trial on sex trafficking charges, rules judge
A federal judge in New York has ruled that the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is unfit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges
A judge has ruled that the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is not fit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Friday ruling ordered Michael Jeffries, 80, to be hospitalized to see if his mental condition improves.
Jeffries’ lawyers sought the ruling in April. They wrote in a letter, filed in a New York federal court, that the former CEO requires round-the-clock care.
He suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and the “residual effects of a traumatic brain injury,” they said.
The defense, as well as prosecutors, requested that Jeffries be placed in federal Bureau of Prisons custody so he can be hospitalized and receive treatment that might allow his criminal case to proceed.
“The court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is presently suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense,” Judge Nusrat Choudhury wrote in his decision.
He directed the Attorney General's office to place Jeffries in a hospital for up to four months.
Jeffries had been free on a $10 million bond since pleading not guilty in October to federal charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
Prosecutors say he, his romantic partner and a third man used the promise of modeling jobs to lure men to drug-fueled sex parties in New York City, the Hamptons and other locations.
Jeffries left Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014 after more than two decades at the helm.
He presided over the retailer's evolution from a Manhattan hunting and outdoor goods store founded in 1892 to a fixture of teen mall culture during the early 2000s.
His partner, Matthew Smith, has also pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains out on bond, as does their co-defendant, James Jacobson.
In their letter, Jeffries’ lawyers said at least four medical professionals concluded that their client’s cognitive issues are “progressive and incurable” and that he will not “regain his competency and cannot be restored to competency in the future.”
They said the doctors found that his cognitive issues “significantly impair” his ability to understand the charges against him, and to consult and participate with his counsel in his defense.