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Former the fashion retailer CEO Mike Jeffries was recorded saying to his UK-based partner that they'd be in serious trouble and in grave danger if he was found competent to face trial on sex trafficking charges in the coming months, a US district court has learned.

The recordings were part of over 100 recorded calls between the ex-fashion boss and Matthew Smith played during a lengthy fitness to stand trial proceeding on Long Island on Long Island.

Jeffries' lawyers assert that he is battling cognitive decline and the onset of Alzheimer's disease and is incapable to be tried alongside his partner and their alleged middleman in October.

Nevertheless, the prosecution contend their medical experts found his condition has gotten better and that the calls show he is extremely focused on being declared not competent.

In other tapes, Jeffries says he is praying for a favorable ruling, labeling being found fit as a calamity, and instructs a medical professional: you had better rule me unfit, the court learned.

Judicial Process and Psychiatric Opinions

The conversations were taped last year while he was being treated for four months in a psychiatric facility at a US prison in North Carolina to assess if he could restore competency.

The 81-year-old had previously been found not competent previously but correctional authorities then declared in December that he was competent for proceedings following his hospital stay.

Government attorneys informed the court Jeffries frequently griped about life in jail and was caught on tape telling to Smith how awful jail was, stating: that's why we got to pull this off.

Background

Jeffries, his partner Smith, 62, and their alleged go-between James Jacobson, 73, were accused with orchestrating a worldwide trafficking and prostitution enterprise in October 2024.

They have entered not guilty pleas the allegations, which have a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Their being taken into custody were prompted by an investigation that uncovered the group had been at the centre of a sophisticated operation recruiting young men for sex globally while Jeffries was CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.

The Honorable Nusrat J. Choudhury will make a determination in May about whether Jeffries will be tried after reviewing the evidence of six experts - psychologists, psychiatrists and medical experts, including prison doctors - who were cross-examined in proceedings recently.

'Disinhibited' Conduct

Three defence experts, testify that Jeffries is mentally incompetent due to the after-effects of a brain trauma, probable Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

They said under oath that Jeffries shows socially inappropriate and off-color behavior, which is part of a range of symptoms.

Instances are Jeffries referring to the prosecution's psychologist a derogatory term, complimenting her hair, telling another expert his clothing was ill-fitting, and describing his partner Smith as a derogatory term, the court heard.

He was also heard in great detail on around 20 jail conversations planning his travel itinerary for the next few months, even though having been on restricted movement since 2024.

"I can't go on trips without you," Jeffries was overheard telling Smith from jail.

Prosecutors suggest this shows his recognition that he would regain his freedom if he was declared unfit and the charges were dropped.

Conversely, the defence's expert witnesses counter, stating it instead underscores that Jeffries has forgotten his legal restrictions and the severity of the charges.

"I didn't see the expected reaction that I would anticipate someone to have who is up against such serious charges," testified one expert who assessed Jeffries.

"Rather, his behavior during the examination... was as if we were having a meal at his club. There was no sense of distress."

Diverging Medical Diagnoses

Evidence indicated there is evidence that Jeffries' cognitive deterioration began in 2013, when tests showed brain shrinkage, which was accelerated by a incident in 2018.

Jeffries had been drinking alcohol at the time of the 2018 fall and his history showed he continued drinking after being hospitalized, but an expert told the judge he did not think his typical drinking had a major impact on his condition.

After the fall, Jeffries suffered a psychotic break, and began having visions, with one incident in 2019 where he was discovered in his underclothes, incapacitated, in a nearby property.

Experts from a treatment facility testified that Jeffries was able after evaluating him over several months in prison.

They assert his intellectual functioning did not match Alzheimer's disease, which the court heard could not be conclusively diagnosed until an post-mortem could be performed.

"Even given the declines that Mr Jeffries has experienced... he still is brighter and more functioning cognitively than probably 95% of the patients that we assess for competency," stated one expert.

Jeffries, wearing a formal wear in the hearing, was described as jovial and rather personable during meetings in prison, and was purposely testing the limits, at times using disrespectful terms.

They assessed Jeffries with mild neurocognitive deficits and said his results may have gotten better since 2023 from low or impaired to typical because of stopping drinking and improved medication management during his stay.

109 Recorded Conversations Present Concerns

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