The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Michael Jeffries, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in federal court in Central Islip.
Jeffries who has a property in Water Mill, his life partner, Matthew Smith, and his employee, James Jacobson are all charged.
Prosecutors say Jacobson lured male victims from around the world by promising modeling jobs. It is alleged those victims would perform sexual acts on Jacobson as a try out.
According to prosecutors, the victims would then participate in sex events, with Jeffries and Smith.
Prosecutors say they have a strong case. “We have substantial evidence. We have travel records, we have financial records, we have testimony of victims and other witnesses. So we think we have a lot of evidence that corroborates the charges in this case,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for Eastern District of New York.
Jeffries and Jacobson will each be arraigned in Central Islip this afternoon. A date has not been set yet for Smith’s arraignment.
Abercrombie & Fitch posted on their social media on Wednesday: “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. 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.”