Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, has been arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking and prostitution.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced that Jeffries was charged with 16 counts, including human trafficking for sexual exploitation and prostitution.
Jeffries, along with his partner Matthew Smith and a third man, James Jacobson, faced charges related to prostitution and sex trafficking in New York, as indicted by a federal grand jury.
This case began after eight male models revealed last year that Jeffries and his associates sexually exploited them during lavish international parties.
Jeffries and Smith reportedly spent significant amounts of money on sexual events from 2008 to 2015. They allegedly brought various men to participate in these events and hired a security company to enforce non-disclosure agreements, preventing victims from disclosing their situations. Jacobson recruited male models at these events and sought Smith’s approval.
Prosecutors claimed that they spent millions of dollars operating a prostitution ring and criticized Jeffries for exploiting men using his wealth and power. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace stated that Jeffries and Smith manipulated victims through coercion, fraud, and intimidation. He emphasized the likelihood of additional victims and urged them to come forward with their stories.
Authorities arrested Jeffries and Smith in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jeffries’s attorney, Brian Beaver, stated that they do not plan to make detailed rebuttals to the media but intend to reveal the truth in court. However, Smith, a British Citizen, may face a high likelihood of bail denial due to concerns about his fleeing.
This incident is not unrelated to Jeffries’s background, as he built wealth and fame leading Abercrombie & Fitch for 22 years.
An internationally popular brand, Abercrombie, founded in 1892, boasts over a century of history; former President Franklin Roosevelt and novelist Ernest Hemingway were among its fans. Jeffries transformed the brand’s image after taking the helm in 1992.
After becoming CEO in 1992, Jeffries turned the brand into an iconic teen fashion label. Successfully marketing it as clothes for “good-looking people,” he caused controversy for openly stating that he only wanted to hire attractive employees to build a customer base of good-looking individuals. Despite retracting his statement in 2013, it had already hurt many customers.
His tenure was also marred by legal and ethical controversies, including a class-action lawsuit in 2003 for racial discrimination filed by Black, Latino, and Asian employees, which Abercrombie eventually settled. Additionally, the brand faced backlash for provocative advertising resembling soft-core pornography.
The fashion industry is closely watching for further revelations surrounding Jeffries’s arrest.
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