Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was taken into custody on Tuesday amid an ongoing investigation into a sex-trafficking operation. Jeffries was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, along with two of his business associates, Matthew Smith and James Jacobson, according to sources.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn were expected to hold a press conference later that day to provide details of the charges in the case, which involves allegations of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. One of the individuals charged was described as a “former CEO of a major company.”
The investigation into Jeffries began about a year ago when the FBI launched a probe into claims that the ex-fashion executive had organized elaborate events designed to sexually exploit young male models. These claims first came to light in a BBC News report in 2022, which included testimonies from 12 men who alleged they were recruited to attend events at Jeffries’ upscale New York residence or luxury hotels in various fashion hotspots around the world between 2009 and 2015.
Jeffries, who departed Abercrombie in 2014, had previously denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Brian Bieber, released a statement on Tuesday indicating that they would respond to the allegations once the indictment was made public, preferring to address the matter in court rather than through the media.
Abercrombie & Fitch, which expressed shock and dismay when the allegations first surfaced, has since distanced itself from the scandal. The company had previously engaged an outside law firm to review the situation but declined to comment further when approached for a statement on Tuesday.
Following the BBC report, a civil lawsuit was filed in New York last year accusing Abercrombie & Fitch of turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged actions. The lawsuit claimed that Jeffries used his power within the company to engage in international sex trafficking and abuse prospective models, some of whom had aspirations of becoming the next face of Abercrombie.
The legal team representing the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit, Brad Edwards and Brittany Henderson, issued a statement on Tuesday noting that all four defendants, including Abercrombie, had attempted to delay the lawsuit. They suggested that the company knew criminal charges were inevitable. Despite these efforts, the arrests were carried out, and the firm looks forward to cooperating with law enforcement to ensure justice is served.
Jeffries is widely recognized for transforming Abercrombie & Fitch into a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s and early 2000s, popularizing the brand among teenagers with provocative advertising campaigns featuring scantily clad models. At the height of its popularity, the brand became a fixture of mall culture.
Source: New York Post
