The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, and his British partner, Matthew Smith, have been arrested on charges of sex trafficking.
The couple, along with an alleged intermediary, were taken into custody on Tuesday morning. The FBI and the prosecutor’s office are expected to release further details at an upcoming press conference.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has launched a criminal investigation of the alleged events and occurrences discussed in Plaintiff’s Complaint,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
The attorney for the plaintiff, Brad Edwards of Edwards Henderson, told ABC News: “As we laid out in our lawsuit, this was an Abercrombie run, sex trafficking organization that permeated throughout the company and allowed the three individuals arrested today to victimize dozens and dozens of young, aspiring male models.”
Legal representatives for Jeffries and Smith, who have previously “vehemently denied” any allegations of misconduct, are yet to comment on their arrest.
BREAKING: Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and two others were arrested Tuesday as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News. https://t.co/XhJq55lYHx pic.twitter.com/f8uYse65bk
— ABC News (@ABC) October 22, 2024
Last year, The Gateway Pundit reported how a lawsuit filed by former model David Bradberry had accused Jeffries of sex trafficking, sexual misconduct and rape.
“Abercrombie cared about profiting and showed absolute loyalty to Jeffries, including a willingness to spend copious amounts of money on extravagant drug and sex parties, ignoring multiple red flags of criminality in Jeffries’s corporate account activity,” the complaint stated.
“With Abercrombie’s complicity, Jeffries was free to sexually abuse dozens of men, paying a tremendous amount of cash in hush money, without the fear of detection by law enforcement,” the complaint claims.
Lawsuit Claims Abercrombie & Fitch Was Funding a Sex-Trafficking Operation
Founded in 1892, the company was originally known for outdoor gear and sporting goods. It later transformed into a global brand specializing in casual wear for young adults.
The company gained notoriety in the late 1990s and early 2000s for its provocative marketing, exclusive image, and controversial practices, including criticisms of its hiring and advertising strategies.
In 2022, Netflix released a documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch examining the brand's controversial techniques and allegations of discrimination that led ot its eventual decline.
