Ex-Abercrombie boss Mike Jeffries, facing sex-crimes trial, suffering from dementia, says court filing: Report

Former Abercrombie & Fitch boss Mike Jeffries is suffering from dementia and is unfit to stand trial for alleged sex crimes, stated a court filing released on Thursday.

In an exclusive report, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Brian Bieber, a lawyer for Jeffries, said in Thursday’s court filing that his client has been evaluated by doctors in recent months who determined that Jeffries is suffering from severe dementia and is unfit to proceed to trial.

Who is Mike Jeffries and what is he accused of?

Mike Jeffries is a former CEO of fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch. He led the clothing retailer from 1992 to 2014.

He was 80 years old when he was arrested and charged in October. He was held as part of a federal investigation into a sex trafficking and interstate prostitution case that spans years of alleged abuse from 2008 to 2015, NPR reported.

His arrest came a year after bombshell allegations emerged in which eight men accused Jeffries and his inner circle of sexually exploiting them at lavish parties around the world.

Prosecutors said Jeffries pressured male models into attending sex parties, paying the men for sex and plying them with drugs, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In October last year, Mike Jeffries had pleaded not guilty to 16 criminal charges before a federal judge in Central Islip, New York, in that state’s Suffolk county.

Jeffries has 'dementia'

According to the WSJ, a psychiatrist hired by the defense found Jeffries was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. An expert selected by prosecutors also found Jeffries was suffering from dementia that will “almost certainty worsen over time.”

The court filing reportedly asked the judge to place Jeffries in hospitalization for four months to observe whether he regains competency. The filing said prosecutors, which brought the case, don’t object to the motion.