The erstwhile CEO of fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) Mike Jeffries and his British partner have been arrested and are facing sex trafficking charges.
NBC News reports Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with trafficking charges relating to young men and sex parties.
They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin on Tuesday and arraigned at a later date in the eastern District of New York.
Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. He stepped down with a $25 million retirement package.
In this May 22, 2017, file photo, a store window reflects a street scene at an Abercrombie & Fitch store on New York’s Fifth Avenue. A former model for Abercrombie & Fitch has sued the fashion retailer, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, alleging it allowed its former CEO Mike Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organization during his 22-year tenure.(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
The news of his arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted, as Breitbart News reported.
That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events allegedly took place from 2009 to 2015.
Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly.
Lawyers for Jeffries and Smith have both previously denied any wrongdoing by both men.
Responding to the latest news, Jeffries’ lawyer told the BBC: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse – not the media.”