CEO May Finally Face Trial For Alleged Sex Offenses
Former Abercrombie CEO Michael Jeffries has yet to be tried for alleged sex trafficking crimes that occurred more than a decade ago
Dec. 7-13 Filings
Business Blotter is a weekly roundup of white collar complaints, lawsuits and enforcement actions – a police beat feature from Business Blunders. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries may finally face trial for alleged sex crimes that occurred more than a decade ago.
On Wednesday, Blake Lott, the acting warden at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C., filed a letter in federal court in New York saying the 81-year-old is “now competent to stand trial.”
Jeffries was charged with sex trafficking and international prostitution in October, allegedly taking advantage of the retailer’s young male models.
We needn’t get into the sordid details contained in the indictment, but let’s just say Jeffries used the same MO as the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: You want to be a model?
He has pleaded not guilty.
Read More: CEOs Gone Wild (Business Blunders)
During Jeffries’ reign at Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014 the retailer was often under fire for sexually explicit advertising aimed at teenagers.
“We are appalled and disgusted by the alleged behavior of Mr. Jeffries, whose employment with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ended nearly ten years ago,” the company has said.
In May, a court ruled Jeffries was not fit to stand trial because of his advanced age and Alzheimers. His lawyers and prosecutors requested that he be hospitalized in federal Bureau of Prisons custody.
His lawyers described his condition as “progressive and incurable.” They also said he “cannot be restored to competency in the future.”
But suddenly, there’s a cure?
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