Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was recorded telling his British partner we're screwed and in big trouble if found fit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges, as revealed in a New York federal court hearing.
The audio, part of over 100 phone calls between Jeffries and Matthew Smith, was introduced during a four-day mental competency hearing this week. Jeffries' lawyers argue he suffers from dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's, rendering him unfit for trial. However, prosecutors contend that their medical experts found improvements in his condition and that the calls demonstrate he is incredibly focused on avoiding trial.
In conversations, Jeffries spoke of hoping for a good outcome, noted that being found fit would be a disaster, and urged a doctor to ensure he was deemed incompetent. These calls were recorded last year while he spent four months in a mental health unit at a federal prison in North Carolina.
The 81-year-old, previously deemed mentally incompetent last May, was later cleared to stand trial by prison officials in December. Prosecutors also highlighted moments where Jeffries complained about prison conditions and expressed a desire to pull this off, indicating awareness of his situation.
Jeffries, his partner Smith, and alleged middleman James Jacobson face charges related to a global sex trafficking and prostitution operation. All have pleaded not guilty, with a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.
As the hearings continue, Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury is expected to decide on Jeffries' competency in May, following testimonies from various mental health experts.
