Prison phone call recordings raise questions over ex-Abercrombie boss' fitness for trial

March 29, 2026

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries appeared in a New York federal court this week for a mental competency hearing where prosecutors presented over 100 recorded prison phone calls as evidence he is faking cognitive decline to avoid trial. Jeffries' defense team claims he suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's disease stemming from a 2018 brain injury and is therefore unfit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges alongside his partner and an alleged middleman. However, government medical experts testified that his condition improved during a four-month prison hospital stay, and the recordings reveal him strategizing about his defense, discussing books and TV shows in detail, and explicitly telling his partner they need to "pull this off" to avoid the consequences of being found competent.

Who is affected

Mike Jeffries (former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, defendant facing sex trafficking charges)
Matthew Smith (Jeffries' 62-year-old British partner, co-defendant)
James Jacobson (73-year-old alleged middleman, co-defendant)
Young men who were allegedly recruited as victims of the sex trafficking operation
Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury (who must decide on Jeffries' competency)
Six medical experts (forensic psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists who testified)
Abercrombie & Fitch (company required to pay Jeffries' defense costs)
Potential victims seeking compensation (Jeffries has already had $11 million seized)

What action is being taken

A four-day mental competency hearing is being conducted on Long Island
Six medical experts are being cross-examined in court this week
Prosecutors are presenting over 100 recorded prison phone calls as evidence
Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury is considering testimony from defense and prosecution experts
Jury selection is currently scheduled for October 26
The U.S. government has seized $11 million in cash from Jeffries
Abercrombie & Fitch is paying for Jeffries' criminal defense bill

Why it matters

This case holds significant implications for accountability in corporate sex trafficking allegations and tests the boundaries of mental competency standards in criminal proceedings. The recorded evidence suggesting a defendant may be deliberately feigning incompetence raises fundamental questions about the integrity of the legal process and whether wealthy, powerful individuals can manipulate mental health defenses to escape prosecution. For the alleged victims of what prosecutors describe as a sophisticated global sex trafficking operation, the competency determination will decide whether they can see their case proceed to trial and potentially receive justice and compensation. The case also represents a rare high-profile prosecution of a former Fortune 500 executive for sex crimes, stemming from investigative journalism that exposed the alleged operation.

What's next

Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury will decide in May whether Jeffries is competent to stand trial
Jury selection is currently scheduled for October 26
The trial is expected to continue with Smith and Jacobson even if Jeffries is ruled incompetent
If found competent and guilty, Jeffries may be ordered to compensate victims

Read full article from source: BBC