Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking and prostitution charges

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — The former longtime CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch pleaded not guilty Friday to federal sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges.

Michael Jeffries, 80, declined to comment after his lawyer entered the plea on his behalf in federal court in Central Islip, on Long Island. He is free on a $10 million bond and is due back in court Dec. 12.

“Today’s hearing was procedural in nature, bond has been set to ensure Michael’s appearance in Court, and of course we entered a plea of not guilty,” Brian Bieber, his attorney, said in an email afterward, declining to comment on the allegations.

Prosecutors allege that for years, Jeffries, his romantic partner and a third man, 71-year-old James Jacobson, lured men into taking part in sex parties by dangling the promise of modeling for the clothing retailer, once famous for its preppy, All-American aesthetic and marketing with shirtless male models.

Jacobson, who was an employee of Jeffries when prosecutors say the crimes occurred, also pleaded not guilty and declined to speak to reporters afterward. He’s free on a $500,000 bond.

In charges announced earlier this week, prosecutors say 15 accusers were induced by “force, fraud and coercion” to engage in drug-fueled sex parties in which the men were sometimes directed to wear costumes, use sex toys and endure painful erection-inducing penile injections.

The events took place between 2008 and 2015 in New York City and the Hamptons, the wealthy summertime resort on Long Island where Jeffries has a home, as well as at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts, according to the indictment.

The allegations echo sexual misconduct accusations described in media reports and made in a civil case against Jeffries, who left Abercrombie in 2014 after leading the company for more than two decades.

Jeffries initially appeared Tuesday in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida where he was arrested with his partner, 61-year-old Matthew Smith.

But while Jeffries was released on bond, Smith was ordered detained after prosecutors raised concerns that the dual American and British citizen might flee the country. No date has been set for Smith’s arraignment.

Jacobson, who prosecutors say recruited men for the sex parties, was arrested in Wisconsin and made his initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jeffries took over as CEO of Abercrombie in 1992, presiding over the evolution of the company from its roots as a hunting and outdoor goods store founded in Manhattan in 1892 to a fixture of teen mall culture during the early 2000s.

Abercrombie, in a statement posted on Instagram after the arrests, said it was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations.

The Ohio-based company, which also owns the clothing brand Hollister, said it has “transformed” its brands and culture in the decade since Jeffries departed.

Abercrombie stopped using “sexualized” photos in marketing materials and ended the practice of calling store staffers “models.” It hired an outside law firm last year to conduct an independent investigation into similar allegations against Jeffries.

“Speaking up and coming forward is not easy, and our thoughts remain with those who have bravely raised their voices as part of the federal investigation,” the company wrote in its statement Wednesday. “We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind, and are committed to fully cooperating with law enforcement as the legal process continues.”

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Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, right, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

James Jacobson exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, center, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

James Jacobson walks outside of the federal courthouse before his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

James Jacobson walks outside of the federal courthouse before his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, center, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

James Jacobson leaves in a vehicle outside of the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

James Jacobson smokes outside of the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges connected to the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, center, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, center, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, center, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, center, exits the federal courthouse after his arraignment on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Michael Jeffries, right, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, gets into the car of his attorney, Brian Bieber, center, as they leave following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is seen during a hearing for Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Michael Jeffries, right, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves with his attorney Brian Bieber, left, following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Michael Jeffries, right, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves with his attorney Brian Bieber following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, leaves following a hearing at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)