Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested on federal charges related to sex trafficking, according to multiple reports.
Jeffries’ arrest was reported by NBC News, the BBC and ABC News, citing sources with information on the case. Specific charges have not yet been been announced.
Also charged was Jeffries’ partner, Matthew Smith, as was an alleged middleman, according to the sources. The case is reportedly out of the Eastern District of New York.
Mike Jeffries was at the center of a scathing documentary, The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, which covered the many lawsuits alleging discriminatory hiring practices filed against the company under Jeffries’ leadership.
A 2023 BBC investigation alleged that Mike Jeffries and Smith were part of a “highly [organized] network” that involved a middleman who found young men to participate in sex events.
The BBC reported that eight men who said they attended the alleged sex events claimed they were exploited or abused. The U.K. news service also reported that attorneys for Jeffries and Smith previously “vehemently denied” any wrongdoing.