Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch boss deemed mentally fit for sex trafficking trial

THE FORMER CHIEF executive of Abercrombie & Fitch is mentally competent to stand trial, a federal judge has ruled.

Michael Jeffries faces sex trafficking charges after being admitted to hospital for months for dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms.

US District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury concluded that Jeffries “clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings” and is a “reasonably intelligent person and skilled communicator” following his stay at a federal prison hospital in Butner, North Carolina.

The federal judge on Long Island, New York, said she reviewed evidence and written reports from medical experts and listened to hours of phone calls Jeffries made to his romantic partner, lawyers and others while in custody.

Choudhury wrote: “His presentation and responses in evaluations following his commitment to Butner and his phone calls show that he understands the structure of the criminal legal system, courtroom procedures, the functions of the various participants, the nature and purpose of the proceedings, and key legal concepts.”

Jeffries’ lawyer declined to comment.

Brian Bieber wrote in an email: “We do not comment on the Judge’s rulings. The case, and all related issues, will be tried inside the courtroom – not in the media.”

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Jeffries (82) is currently free on bond. He is slated to go on trial in late October, alongside two co-defendants, his partner Matthew Smith and staffer James Jacobson. A pre-trial hearing is slated for next week.

Jeffries’ lawyers had argued that he required around-the-clock care to deal with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury.

They had medical experts give evidence in court that Jeffries’ cognitive issues were “progressive and incurable” and that he would not “regain his competency”.

That prompted Choudhury to order Jeffries to be admitted to hospital to see if his mental condition would improve.

After spending about four months at Butner, federal prison officials in December deemed Jeffries mentally fit to stand trial.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson have pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

Prosecutors say the three used the promise of modelling jobs to lure men to drug-fuelled sex parties in New York City, the Hamptons and other locations.

The criminal case echoes sexual misconduct accusations made in a civil case and in the media in recent years.

Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 after more than two decades. He’s credited with transforming the New York retailer, originally founded to sell wilderness gear, into a mainstay of teen mall culture in the early 2000s with its preppy youth aesthetic and sexy marketing.