Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries’ Lawyer Requests Competency Hearing
Former Abercrombie & Fitch chief executive officer Mike Jeffries was back in court Tuesday morning along with his partner Matthew Smith and alleged accomplice James Jacobson in what federal authorities have said was a years-long sex trafficking and interstate prostitution enterprise.
All three men, who each previously pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, attended a status conference at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y.
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Jeffries’ attorney Brian Bieber made a motion for a competency hearing for his client. There was no public discussion as to the reason he was requesting a competency hearing, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Per U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury, the following scheduling has been set: The defense has until Dec. 24 to file papers regarding how much of their original motion can be sealed and until Feb. 6 to file a doctor’s report. April 8 is the deadline for the government’s doctor’s report. A date was not set for the competency hearing.
Representatives for Smith’s attorney Joseph Nascimento of Ross, Amsel, Raben and Nascimento did not respond immediately to a request for comment Tuesday. Jeffries’ attorney Bieber of Gray Robinson LLC said via email, “We filed a motion to determine Mr. Jeffries’ competency to stand trial, which will be dealt with in court as, and when, appropriate — according to the judge.”
An attorney for the “John Does” in the case, Brad Edwards of Edwards Henderson, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The next court date for the three defendants will be March 13, with time excluded so the defense can continue to review discovery.
The three men were arrested on Oct. 22. Each subsequently pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. Jeffries, 81, and Jacobson, 62, were released respectively on a $10 million bond and a $500,000 bond. Smith, 61, who has a U.K. passport, was held until Dec. 3, when he pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10 million bond. The three men were said to have been part of a sex trafficking and interstate prostitution ring that lasted at least from the end of 2008 until early 2015. Jeffries was said to have spent “millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure” to support it and “hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for commercial sex,” as well as money for travel, hotel rooms and a security company, according to U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace.
Jacobson was alleged to have “try-outs” for men and would personally approve those who would be flown to Jeffries’ and Smith’s homes in New York City and the Hamptons, as well as hotels in Italy, France, Morocco and St. Barths for “the purpose of attending events to engage in commercial sex,” according to Peace.
One of the accusers was a 19-year-old, who had previously worked at Abercrombie & Fitch stores or had modeled for the brand, according to the indictment that was released last fall. The men were led to believe that attending such events could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie & Fitch or otherwise benefit their careers, according to Peace. Smith and Jeffries allegedly employed a “secret staff” to operate the events, who ensured the men signed NDAs and handed over personal items such as their phones to maintain secrecy. The men were also under the impression that not complying with sex acts at the events “could harm their careers,” and they were pressured to consume alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxers, known as “poppers.”
Staff also allegedly remained present during the sexual activities to ensure the men did not leave until Jeffries and Smith decided the sessions were over, Peace said. Jeffries and Smith also allegedly injected men — or had others to do so — with an erection-inducing substance, causing men to engage in sex acts they were incapable of, or unwilling to engage in, according to the indictment.
After Tuesday’s status conference, Jeffries and Smith left with their lawyers in the same SUV, and Jacobson left with his in a separate vehicle, according to one observer.
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