This story was updated on Oct. 25 at 8:11 p.m. EST
Mike Jeffries, former chief executive officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., pleaded not guilty to one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution Friday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y.
He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Steven Tiscione for the arraignment, in a filled courtroom that included his son and his wife. Jeffries is now confined to his homes in New York City, Long Island and Florida.
His next trial date is set for Dec. 12.
Jeffries was arrested earlier this week and released on a $10 million bond.
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Jeffries, 80, who exited the top job at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014 after a 22-year run, is accused of having orchestrated a sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise that involved hiring dozens of men and transporting them around the world.
On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. attorney’s office of the Eastern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department held a press conference detailing the arrests and charges in Brooklyn. Jeffries’ life partner Matthew Smith, 71, is also facing one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution, as does James Jacobson, who is alleged to be a middleman in recruiting men to attend “sex events.” Jacobson, 71, was also in court Friday and pleaded not guilty. He was released on a $500,000 bond.
Deemed a flight risk by federal authorities, Smith, who has U.K. and U.S. citizenship, is remanded in custody.
Earlier in the week Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of New York, alleged that the sexual trafficking and prostitution enterprise lasted at least from the end of 2008 until early 2015. Jeffries was said to have spent “millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure” to support it and “hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for commercial sex,” as well as money for travel, hotel rooms and a security company, Peace said. Fifteen John Does are named in the indictment.
Dressed in a navy suit and a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar, Jeffries entered the courtroom shortly before the arraignment with his lawyer Brian Bieber. Jeffries’ GPS ankle bracelet was noticeable above his black penny loafers. With his mane of white hair, his look was a sharp contrast to the bleached blond hair, T-shirts and flip-flops that he sported in his Abercrombie & Fitch years. His wife Susan Hansen and their son Andrew were seated in the row behind him in the courtroom.
Earlier, the family was seated chatting in the courthouse’s cafeteria. When approached by a WWD reporter, Jeffries declined to comment on the lawsuit.
During the hearing, Jeffries appeared serious, seated with his hands clasped and occasionally looking around at the 100 or so people in the room. After being asked by Judge Tiscione if he understood the charges and his rights, Jeffries said that he did. Among those in the gallery were David Bradberry, a former model who accused Jeffries of sexual misconduct in a BBC documentary about the former CEO’s alleged exploitation. Bradberry never looked in Jeffries’ direction during the proceedings.
As Jeffries was leaving the courtroom, he stopped, smiled at his wife and son and squeezed her elbow.
Former Abercrombie & Fitch executive Carmen O’Connor attended the arraignment with her husband, another alumni of the company, and their son. Her husband, who preferred not to be identified, said they have been following the case closely, and had not seen Jeffries in 20 years. He said that the situation could be “a teachable moment” for their son.
Afterward, Jacobson was arraigned and also pleaded not guilty.
When leaving the courthouse, Jeffries and his attorney would not comment to the row of media that had been kept at a distance across the street on the sidewalk. Shortly afterward, Jacobson and his attorney Jerry Schneider also left without speaking to the media. And while waiting for his transportation, Jacobson turned his back on the 15 video cameras that were pointed in his direction and smoked a cigarette.
O’Connor told reporters that she had once been one of Jeffries’ “favorites” at Abercrombie & Fitch, but she was abruptly fired in 2006. As for the the allegations against him, she said, “It’s been a long time. It should have come out sooner.”
