Lawyers for the former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO say their client may have dementia and a hearing is needed to determine whether he can face sexual charges.
Lawyers for Michael Jeffries said in court documents unsealed Monday in federal court in Central Islip, N.Y., that a neuropsychologist who examined their client in October concluded he likely suffered from dementia and behavioral disorders, Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
They wrote that the neuropsychologist concluded that cognitive impairments, including impaired memory, diminished attention, slow processing speed and ease of confusion meant that Jeffries would not be able to assist his attorneys.
In a joint letter to the judge, defense attorneys and prosecutors suggested that the experts who evaluated Jeffries testify at a two-day hearing in June so a ruling on his competency can be made. A spokesperson for prosecutors said Tuesday they had no further comment on the matter.
The 80-year-old is free on US$10 million bail after pleading not guilty in October to federal charges of interstate sex trafficking and prostitution.
Prosecutors say Jeffries, his partner and a third man lured men into drug-fueled sex parties in the Hamptons on Long Island with the prospect of modeling for the retailer's ads.
Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 after more than two decades at the helm of the clothing retailer, once famous for its preppy aesthetic and marketing with shirtless male models.
In an indictment unsealed in October, prosecutors alleged that 15 accusers were induced by “force, fraud and coercion” to participate in sex parties between 2008 and 2015 in New York and the Hamptons, the a wealthy summer resort on Long Island where Jeffries has a home, as well as hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barthélemy.
Prosecutors contend the men were sometimes asked to wear costumes, use sex toys and undergo painful penile injections that caused erections.
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