Ex-Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries' Mental Competency Under Scrutiny Amid Sex Trafficking Charges
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was recorded telling his British partner we're screwed and in big trouble if he was found fit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges later this year, a New York federal court has heard.
The audio was part of more than 100 phone calls between the ex-fashion boss and Matthew Smith referred to during a four-day mental competency hearing this week on Long Island.
Jeffries' lawyers argue that he is suffering with dementia and late onset of Alzheimer's disease and is unfit to face trial alongside his partner and their alleged middleman in October.
However, prosecutors say their medical experts found his condition has improved and that the calls reveal he is incredibly focused on being found incompetent.
In further recordings, Jeffries expresses hope for a favorable outcome, describing being found fit as a disaster, and tells a doctor: you better find me incompetent, Central Islip court heard.
The calls were recorded while he was treated for four months in a mental health unit at a federal prison in North Carolina to assess his competency.
The 81-year-old had previously been found mentally incompetent last May but prison officials declared him fit for trial following his hospitalization in December.
Prosecutors mentioned his complaints about prison conditions, where he described to Smith how horrible jail was, stating: that's why we got to pull this off.
Jeffries, Smith, and their alleged accomplice James Jacobson, 73, were charged with running a global sex trafficking and prostitution ring in October 2024, for which they have pleaded not guilty.
Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury is expected to determine Jeffries' competency in May, after reviewing the testimony of several experts, including forensic psychologists and psychiatrists.
'Disinhibited' Behaviour
Three defense experts maintained that Jeffries is mentally incompetent due to the effects of a traumatic brain injury, probable Lewy body dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Jeffries exhibits socially inappropriate behavior linked to dementia, such as making derogatory comments about others.
The defense witnesses were cross-examined about Jeffries' mental decline, including assessments showing reduced cognitive functioning over several years.
Despite the concerns raised by the defense, prison doctors testified that Jeffries has displayed capabilities inconsistent with Alzheimer's, arguing that he is capable of understanding his situation and defending himself adequately.
Jeffries’ phone calls, in which he discusses potential strategies for his defense and recalls memories from his career, are central to the prosecution's case against his claims of incompetency.
As jury selection approaches on October 26, questions linger over Jeffries' mental fitness and the implications of his alleged actions during his tenure at Abercrombie & Fitch.
