Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO arrested in federal sex trafficking probe
Former A&F CEO Mike Jeffries, his partner Matt Smith and a man named James Jacobson have been arrested
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and two other men have been arrested on federal sex crime charges, according to law enforcement sources.
Jeffries, who led the company from 1992 until 2014, was arrested along with his partner, Matt Smith, at their home in West Palm Beach, Florida, authorities said. A third suspect, James "Mrs. Cook" Jacobson was captured in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, told reporters Tuesday that the suspects used a "casting couch" system to lure in and abuse their victims.
He alleged that at least 15 victims were coerced into using alcohol and drugs like Viagra to engage in acts they were "incapable" or "unwilling" of taking part in between 2008 and 2015. Additional victims were asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Then-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries attends the opening of a store on Fifth Avenue in New York City Nov. 9, 2005. (Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic for Paul Wilmot Communications / Getty Images)
"Despite the alleged efforts of Jeffrey, Smith and Jacobson to conceal their crimes, efforts that included threatening victims and requiring them to sign nondisclosure agreements, among other things, their plan failed," said James Dennehy, the FBI's assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office. "This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their own personal interests."
The charges come more than a year after a man sued Jeffries, Smith and the clothing chain, accusing them of a sex trafficking ring that covered New York, Morocco, England and France.
"He used his role as CEO of Abercrombie to prey upon attractive young men who believed that Jeffries was going to hire them as an Abercrombie model — the pinnacle of the modeling industry for men during the relevant time period," the lawyers for the plaintiff in the civil case alleged in court filings.
Mike Jeffries, CEO of clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves the store on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on Oct. 27, 2012. (BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A motion to dismiss the civil case is pending.
The legal team for Jeffries' prior accusers welcomed news of the arrests.
"We filed our lawsuit because this case is not only meritorious but is one of the most egregious abuses of power we had ever seen," said Brad Edwards, an attorney for the civil plaintiff. "This arrest is a huge step on the path to justice and accountability for the many young men who were exploited and abused by Jeffries and Smith, who used Abercrombie to pull off one of the most organized sex trafficking operations in United States history."
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During Jeffries' tenure, Abercrombie & Fitch was a preppy clothes mainstay known for its racy advertising, which sometimes included models wearing no clothes at all and selective hiring processes.
"Good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people," Jeffries told Salon in a 2006 interview. "We don't market to anyone other than that."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANF | ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. | 157.31 | +7.62 | +5.09% |
| AEO | AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC. | 19.93 | +0.69 | +3.59% |
| GAP | GAP INC. | 25.81 | +1.56 | +6.43% |
| RL | RALPH LAUREN CORP. | 233.32 | +1.97 | +0.85% |
While Smith had no official role in the company, in 2012 he allegedly developed an "Aircraft Standards" manual for its corporate jet "which included 40 pages of highly detailed instructions including what kind of underwear aircraft staff should wear," according to the civil suit.
Jeffries took the top job at Abercrombie & Fitch in 1992, when Les Wexner, himself accused of ties to the late sex trafficking suspect Jeffrey Epstein, controlled the retailer's parent company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A shopper leaves the Abercrombie & Fitch UK Flagship Store on Savile Row on March 22, 2007 in London. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Wexner is the founder of Limited Brands and a former Victoria's Secret CEO. His business relationship with Epstein began in the 1980s and ended in 2007. His name came up in Epstein-related civil lawsuits, but he has denied knowledge of Epstein's misbehavior and has not been charged with a crime.
In 2019, an attorney representing Epstein victims said it was unlikely Wexner was aware of Epstein's conduct, FOX Business previously reported.
In court documents unsealed in January, testimony showed Epstein had recruited some of his victims under the pretext that they might work for Victoria's Secret.
Les Wexner at the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards, presented by Hearst Magazines, on June 7, 2016 in New York City. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images / Getty Images)
A similar move was allegedly used in the Abercrombie & Fitch case, according to the civil lawsuit. After being brought to Jeffries' East Hampton mansion for what they thought would be a modeling interview, the accusers were allegedly asked to strip down and take drugs before being led into rooms where "men were engaging in sex with one another," according to the lawsuit.
An Abercrombie & Fitch retail store in an American mall. (iStock / iStock)
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"The models were led to believe that being sexually abused by the CEO of Abercrombie and his partner at a remote private location arranged by the company was the price that was paid to obtain one of the most coveted roles in the industry— an Abercrombie model," the lawsuit alleges.
This is a developing story.