Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO pleads not guilty to sixteen counts of sex trafficking and international prostitution
CNN
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment at his arraignment in a New York federal court on Friday.
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment at his arraignment in a New York federal court on Friday. Jeffries was indicted Wednesday on 16 federal counts of sex trafficking and international prostitution and is accused of leveraging “a network of employees, contractors and security professionals” while he led the retailer. Jeffries was released on $10 million bond put up by his family. Other conditions of his release include being restricted to New York City, Long Island, and the southern district of Florida. He’s also not allowed to leave his home unless it’s for pre-approved reasons. Those pre-approved reasons include attorney visits, medical treatment and GPS monitoring. He must also surrender his passport. “While Jeffries was the CEO of one of the most recognizable clothing retailers in the world, he was using his power, his wealth and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and that of his romantic partner, Matthew Smith,” Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a Tuesday press conference. Smith, 61, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and another associate of Jeffries, James Jacobson, 71, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, were also indicted as part of the case. Jacobson was employed by Jeffries and Smith to recruit, interview and hire men to perform commercial sex acts for Jeffries and Smith, according to the indictment.
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