Prosecutors allege Jeffries ran sex-trafficking scheme from 2008 to 2015
A federal judge ruled that former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial on sex-trafficking charges, clearing the way for jury selection to begin on Oct. 26.
U.S. District Judge Nusrat Choudhury said in her ruling that the 82-year-old demonstrated an ability to understand legal concepts and communicate effectively with his counsel. The decision follows a four-day competency hearing held earlier this year and was influenced by audio recordings of phone calls and expert testimony showing Jeffries possesses sufficient cognitive function to participate in his defense.
Jeffries had claimed he was suffering from severe dementia and was unfit to proceed. In an April 2025 court filing, a psychiatrist hired by the defense found that Jeffries was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders requiring round-the-clock care. An expert selected by prosecutors also found that Jeffries was suffering from dementia that will “almost certainty worsen over time.”
Jeffries was committed to a federal medical center for a competency-restoration period and underwent subsequent evaluations by prosecution and defense experts. A lawyer for Jeffries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The indictment, returned in 2024, charged Jeffries with running an international sex-trafficking ring while he was Abercrombie’s CEO. The indictment listed 15 John Doe victims. Prosecutors allege that Jeffries used his status to coerce aspiring models into having sex with him and his romantic partner.
According to the indictment, from 2008 to 2015, Jeffries allegedly pressured models into attending sex parties in locations around the world, paid men for their involvement and misled some of them into thinking they were attending modeling shoots.
Jeffries was arrested in 2024. The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 26. The court will institute accommodations for Jeffries’s age and potential for fatigue, including shortened days and frequent breaks.