File: Mike Jeffries, then Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in 2005.
Michael Loccisano | FilmMagic | Getty Images
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested in Florida and faces sex trafficking-related charges, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York told CNBC on Tuesday.
Two of Jeffries’ associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach, Florida, and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, have also been charged in connection with the case, the spokesman said.
Abercrombie & Fitch declined CNBC’s request for comment.
The news broke hours before federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, were set to hold a news conference to announce the arrests of a “former CEO of a major company” and two others in a “sex trafficking and interstate prostitution case.”
The criminal case comes a year after Abercrombie, Jeffries and Smith were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to sexual misconduct by the former CEO.
Jeffries was accused in that federal civil lawsuit of operating a sex trafficking ring that exploited young men who had hoped to become models for the company.
Attorney Brittany Henderson of Edwards Henderson, the law firm representing the plaintiff in the case, said in a statement to CNBC, “Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals.”
“Their fight for justice does not end here. We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again,” Henderson said.
Jeffries served as CEO of Abercrombie from 1992 through 2014. Smith was described in the civil lawsuit as Jeffries’ long-time partner and “someone with apparent authority who Abercrombie allowed to work extensively for the brand despite not holding an official position within the company.”
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— CNBC’s Gabrielle Fonrouge contributed reporting.
