Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries was arrested by federal agents to investigate allegations that he ran a sex-trafficking operation, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. .
He was arrested in Florida on Tuesday amid an investigation led by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, the report said.
Abercrombie & Fitch declined to comment on Reuters’ queries, while Jefferies was not immediately available.
Last year, a group of Abercrombie & Fitch male models sued the retailer and its former CEO, alleging the company benefited from a sex-trafficking operation led by Jeffries.
The proposed class action, filed by former model David Bradbury in Manhattan federal court, claims that Jeffries forced the models to take drugs and engage in sexual activities with themselves and others in order to provoke Abercrombie. Featured in Inspirational Catalogues.
The lawsuit alleged that company executives knew about the conduct and that Abercrombie paid settlements to people who had accused Jeffries of sexual harassment or harassment.
Jeffries, who was CEO from 1992 to 2014, was credited with turning the retailer into a successful teen clothing company known for its cologne-filled stores and ads featuring semi-nude models. However, he resigned amid criticism that he had failed to keep up with the tastes of teenage buyers.
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