By Brian Myers | Published
The longtime CEO of clothing giant Abercrombie & Fitch has been arrested on charges of sex trafficking men. Mike Jeffries, who ran the company from 1992 to 2014, was charged along with his partner Matthew Smith and an alleged middleman named James Jacobson following a lengthy investigation.
Most of the details surrounding the criminal allegations against Jeffries are still secret in a sealed indictment, but an upcoming news conference with the FBI and federal prosecutor’s office is expected to shed light on the charges.
Mike Jeffries served as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch until 2014, when he resigned amid a period of declining sales.
What is known is that the FBI opened an investigation into Mike Jeffries last year for financing what was described as a sex trafficking operation that spanned two decades. The federal agency’s activities were reported by the BBC, which conducted its own investigation into the criminal and civil complaints. The outlet was able to interview 12 men who “described attending or organizing events involving staged sexual acts for Mr. Jeffries between 2009 and 2015.”
Eight of the men interviewed by the BBC said they had been recruited to attend the functions by James Jacobson. Some men said they knew these encounters would be sexual in nature, but felt misled. Others said they did not know sexual acts would take place. The allegations of one man, David Bradberry, may provide insight into the motive for meetings between various men and Mike Jeffries.
Bradberry, who was 23 at the time of his meeting with Jacobson, claims he was told he would have to perform oral sex on the middleman if the aspiring model wanted to meet then-CEO Mike Jeffries. Bradberry went on to state that afterward, he went to Jeffries’ mansion on Long Island, New York, to meet him for sex.
The criminal complaints against the embattled former CEO are the latest in a series of controversies that include a litany of civil suits filed against him.
The federal investigation focused not only on the statements of the alleged victims, but also on an unknown number of former domestic workers employed by Mike Jeffries.
Mike Jeffries’ attorneys have denied any wrongdoing by any party and have vowed to respond to all allegations once details of the indictment become available. But, they added, those responses will take place in court, not in media interviews.
In the United States, a federal sex trafficking violation occurs when a party arranges for an adult to cross state lines or enter another country to have sex for money if they is determined that a level of coercion, force or fraud is involved.
The criminal complaints against the embattled former CEO are the latest in a series of controversies that include a litany of civil suits filed against him. Mike Jeffries, however, won a legal battle against the company he once represented. A US court has ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch must pay for Jeffries’ civil defense as the case against him is linked to his position as CEO.
Mike Jeffries’ attorneys have denied any wrongdoing by any party and have vowed to respond to all allegations once details of the indictment become available.
Mike Jeffries served as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch until 2014, when he resigned amid a period of declining sales. His golden parachute included a retirement package worth an estimated $25 million.
But despite his high net worth and powerful position within one of the world’s most recognized clothing lines, his reputation at the helm of the company was tarnished years ago amid allegations of wrongdoing discriminatory behavior against his staff, his extravagant spending habits and the way his romantic partner Matthew Smith seemed to guide Jeffries’ decisions.
Sources: BBC