Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Declared Competent for Trial on Sex-Trafficking Charges
Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been declared mentally competent to stand trial on sex-trafficking and prostitution charges after spending months in hospital. Previously deemed mentally incompetent in May due to dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's, the court ordered treatment for up to four months to help him regain competency. Prosecutors report that neuropsychologists found Jeffries capable of understanding the legal proceedings. A final competency hearing is scheduled for early 2026, with a trial date sought for October 2026.
Jeffries was released from FMC Butner in North Carolina in late November; this facility houses men with special health needs. He, along with his partner Matthew Smith (61) and James Jacobson (72), face charges of operating an international sex-trafficking and prostitution network from at least 2008 to 2015. All three deny the allegations.
The prosecutors allege that they used money, influence, force, fraud, and coercion to exploit vulnerable men for sexual acts linked to aspiring models. More than 40 men have come forward with civil allegations including rape, sexual assault, or drugging; Jeffries and Smith deny these claims. Abercrombie & Fitch is facing civil lawsuits connected to the case. A separate ruling earlier this year required the company to pay Jeffries' criminal defense costs, which are likely to amount to millions, under an indemnification agreement.
The maximum penalty for the charges faced by Jeffries and his co-defendants is life in prison.
