Judge Rules Former Abercrombie CEO Competent to Stand Trial on Sex-Trafficking Charges

A federal judge has ruled that former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial on sex-trafficking charges, following months of hospitalization for dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Jeffries, 82, remains free on bond and is scheduled to face trial in late October alongside co-defendants Matthew Smith, his partner, and James Jacobson, a former staffer. A pretrial hearing was set for Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury determined that Jeffries “clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings” and described him as a “reasonably intelligent person and skilled communicator” after his stay at the federal prison hospital in Butner, North Carolina.

The Long Island-based judge reviewed testimony and written reports from medical experts and listened to hours of recorded phone calls Jeffries made to his romantic partner, attorneys, and others while in custody.

“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,” Choudhury wrote in her Thursday decision.

Jeffries’ attorney declined to comment.

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

Jeffries’ legal team had argued he required around-the-clock care due to Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and a traumatic brain injury. Their medical experts testified that his cognitive issues were “progressive and incurable” and that he would not “regain his competency.”

That prompted Choudhury to order Jeffries hospitalized to assess whether his condition would improve. After roughly four months at Butner, federal prison officials deemed him mentally fit to stand trial in December.

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

Prosecutors allege the trio used the promise of modeling jobs to lure men to drug-fueled sex parties in New York City, the Hamptons, and other locations. The criminal case mirrors sexual misconduct allegations raised in a civil lawsuit and media reports in recent years.

Jeffries departed Abercrombie in 2014 after more than two decades at the helm. He is credited with transforming the New York-based retailer—originally founded to sell wilderness gear—into a staple of early 2000s teen mall culture through its preppy aesthetic and provocative marketing.

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