Ex-Abercrombie CEO deemed fit for sex trafficking trial in January

Despite cognitive decline in certain areas, Jeffries understands the charges against him, engages in critical thinking and recalls information about family, friends and current events, a federal judge said.CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — The criminal trial against former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries, who’s accused of exploiting young men in a yearslong international sex trafficking ring, is lined up for an early 2027 start date after a federal judge declared the 82-year-old mentally fit for the proceeding.U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury on Thursday set a trial date of Jan. 4, for Jeffries, who’s accused along with his romantic partner Matthew Smith and a third defendant, James Jacobson, of luring numerous men, some of whom previously worked at Abercrombie stores or modeled for the company, into an international sex trafficking and prostitution scheme.At Jeffries’ request, the judge delayed the trial previously set for Oct. 26, after defense attorneys raised concerns that holiday breaks would hinder the trial. Prosecutors estimate their case will take two months, since trial will sit only in the afternoons to accommodate Jeffries’ health needs.Jeffries’ legal team has argued his cognitive issues stemming from Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury have rendered him incapable of understanding the case against him, and that the conditions are progressive and cannot be cured.Choudhury, however, declared Jeffries mentally competent following a three-day hearing at a federal medical center in Pennsylvania where he evaluated the longtime fashion executive’s memory and comprehension, with the aid of expert testimony, medical records and more than 21 hours of telephone recordings.“Jeffries clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings to adjudicate his criminal charges,” Choudhury wrote in the 157-page ruling.Deeming Jeffries a “reasonably intelligent person and skilled communicator,” the Joe Biden-appointed judge said he has a “more than sufficient ability to consult with his lawyers with a reasonable degree of rational understanding.”Choudhury cited expert findings that, despite cognitive decline in certain areas, Jeffries understands the charges against him, engages in critical thinking, expresses himself and recalls information, including about family, friends and current events.In a phone exchange on Nov. 5, 2025, the day after New York City’s last mayoral election, Jeffries asked Smith, “Who won … New York? Mamdani?” and speculated that the candidate won by “[a] lot, I bet,” Choudhury wrote.Jeffries and Smith also discussed current events in the fashion and legal worlds: designer Giorgio Armani’s death, Anna Wintour’s replacement at Vogue, and even Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request for a presidential pardon, with Jeffries speculating about how that case might affect his own.In another call with Smith on Nov. 18, 2025, Jeffries told his partner he feared one of the government’s expert witnesses was “very committed to coming up with a report that I am competent, which, as you know, is a disaster, will be a disaster for us in terms of time, effort, money, every way you can say it.”While staying at the federal facility in Butner, Pennsylvania, Jeffries made friends — sometimes relying on them for favors, like helping him dial the phone and getting him coffee — and “developed problem-solving strategies for a variety of issues.”“For example, he figured out that he could covertly transport salt and hot sauce to his meals by using ‘a plastic cup’ and a ‘cardboard container,’ joking to Smith that ‘I feel like James Bond to tell you the truth.’”Jeffries is out on a $10 million bond package. He called into a remote hearing on Thursday from a conference room at his GrayRobinson attorneys’ office in West Palm Beach, Florida.Prosecutors put the timeline for the charged conduct between 2009 and 2015, largely overlapping with the final years of Jeffries’ three-decade tenure at the helm of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.According to the 16-count indictment, Jeffries and Smith injected some men with prescription-grade erection medication and forced victims to have nonconsensual sex, drink alcohol, take muscle relaxants, wear costumes and use sex toys. Prosecutors also say Jacobson traveled in the U.S. and overseas to hold “tryouts” that required candidates to engage in sex acts with him.The trio didn’t disclose the full extent of sexual activity at “sex events” they were paid to attend in New York City, the Hamptons and internationally, at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthélémy, the government says.Fifteen victims are identified in the indictment, but U.S. attorneys for the Eastern District of New York say the defendants targeted “dozens and dozens” of men, and required them to sign nondisclosure agreements tied to the sex parties.All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.Brian Bieber, an attorney for Jeffries, declined to comment directly on Choudhury’s competency ruling. “The case, and all related issues, will be tried inside the courtroom — not in the media,” he said in an email to Courthouse News.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads