Prison Phone Call Recordings Prompt Questions About Former Abercrombie Boss' Ability for Trial

Ex- A&F top executive Mike Jeffries was heard on tape informing his British partner how they were finished and in deep trouble if he was deemed able to face trial on trafficking allegations this autumn, a US district court has been told.

The audio were part of in excess of 100 telephone conversations between the one-time CEO and Matthew Smith played during a four-day mental competency hearing this week on Long Island.

Jeffries' attorneys contend that he is suffering with dementia and late onset of Alzheimer's and is not competent to stand trial next to his partner and their accused intermediary in October.

Nevertheless, government lawyers argue their medical experts concluded his mental state has gotten better and that the conversations demonstrate he is extremely fixated on being found incompetent.

In further audio clips, Jeffries says he is wishing for a favorable ruling, labeling being ruled able as a calamity, and tells a physician: you must rule me incompetent, the judge heard.

Court Hearings and Psychiatric Testimony

The calls were recorded in the past year while he was being held for a period of months in a mental health unit at a US prison in North Carolina to assess if he could recover competency.

The elderly defendant had earlier been ruled mentally incompetent in May but correctional authorities then stated in December that he was fit for trial following his evaluation.

Prosecutors told the judge Jeffries often griped about life in jail and was caught on tape describing to Smith how horrible incarceration was, remarking: so we must pull this off.

Background

Jeffries, his partner Smith, 62, and their alleged go-between James Jacobson, 73, were accused with running a worldwide trafficking and commercial sex operation in October 2024.

They have entered not guilty pleas the accusations, which carry a potential penalty of life in prison.

Their being taken into custody came after an exposé that showed the group had been at the heart of a elaborate network scouting men for sex internationally while Jeffries was CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Presiding Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury will make a determination in May about whether Jeffries will face trial after considering the statements of multiple specialists - experts, specialists and brain specialists, including facility doctors - who were examined in court during the hearing.

'Unrestrained' Behaviour

A trio of defence experts, testify that Jeffries is cognitively impaired due to the residual effects of a brain trauma, probable Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

They stated that Jeffries shows disinhibited and socially inappropriate behaviour, which is symptomatic of a spectrum of dementia symptoms.

Examples include Jeffries referring to the prosecution's professional psychologist a cunning bitch, remarking on her hair, telling another expert his clothing was poorly tailored, and referring to his partner Smith as a derogatory term, they say.

He was also recorded in minute detail on around 20 jail conversations planning his trips abroad for the coming months, notwithstanding having been on home confinement since 2024.

"I don't want to go on trips without you," Jeffries was heard saying to Smith from jail.

Prosecutors suggest this demonstrates his awareness that he would be released if he was found incompetent and the indictment were dismissed.

Conversely, the defense's expert witnesses counter, saying it instead underscores that Jeffries does not remember his legal restrictions and the severity of the case.

"He lacked the expected emotional response that I would anticipate someone to have who is up against such grave charges," said one expert who assessed Jeffries.

"Instead, his demeanor during the evaluation... was as if we were having a chat at his club. There was no sign of alarm."

Conflicting Neurological Assessments

Testimony indicated there is information that Jeffries' mental decline started in 2013, when tests showed reduction in volume, which was worsened by a incident in 2018.

Jeffries had been consuming alcohol at the moment of the 2018 incident and his history showed he kept on drinking after being treated, but an expert told the judge he did not think his overall intake had a major impact on his health.

After the fall, Jeffries suffered a psychotic break, and started seeing things, with one episode in 2019 where he was discovered in his underclothes, immobile, in a nearby property.

Medical professionals from a treatment facility testified that Jeffries was fit after observing him over several months in custody.

They contend his mental faculties did not align with Alzheimer's disease, which the court heard could not be absolutely determined until an autopsy could be performed.

"Even given the declines that Mr Jeffries has suffered... he still is brighter and more able intellectually than probably 95% of the individuals that we test for fitness," stated one doctor.

Jeffries, wearing a business attire in the hearing, was reported to be cheerful and rather personable during evaluations in the facility, and was purposely testing the limits, on occasion using disrespectful address.

They diagnosed Jeffries with slight deficits and said his testing scores may have risen since 2023 from borderline or deficient to average because of abstinence from alcohol and improved management of prescriptions during his evaluation.

109 Jail Recordings Present Concerns

Central to assessing fitness is whether Jeffries grasps the charges against him, their penalties, the {legal proceedings|court process|trial