• Attorneys for Mike Jeffries asked a judge to rule on whether he is mentally fit for trial.
• Federal prosecutors would likely challenge the move, adding months to pretrial proceedings.
• The former Abercrombie CEO is accused of running an international sex-trafficking business.

The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is seeking to delay his federal sex-trafficking case on mental competency grounds.

Attorneys for the brand's former top executive, Mike Jeffries, asked a Manhattan judge on Monday to schedule a hearing to determine whether Jeffries is competent to stand trial, a spokesperson for the US attorney's office of the Eastern District of New York told Business Insider in a statement. Federal prosecutors are expected to challenge the move, which could add months to pretrial proceedings.

The defense would have until December 24 to file papers telling US District Judge Nusrat Choudhury how much of their competency motion can be sealed. The rest of the competency battle will play out throughout the first months of 2025.

The spokesperson said the defense has until February 6 to file a doctor's report supporting the competency motion, and the prosecution has until April 8 to file their own doctor's report. The competency hearing itself has yet to be scheduled, the spokesperson said. Jeffries is due back in court on March 13, 2025.

"We filed a motion to Determine Mr. Jeffries' Competency to Stand Trial, which will be dealt with in Court as, and when, appropriate — according to the Judge," Brian Bieber, an attorney for Jeffries, told BI in a statement. A competency hearing is meant to determine whether a defendant is able to understand the charges against them and the role of the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney.

On October 22, Jeffries, his partner, and a third man were arrested in Florida on federal sex-trafficking charges. Prosecutors allege they ran an international sex-trafficking and prostitution business. The men used Jeffries' position at the company to coerce dozens of men, many of whom wanted to become Abercrombie models, to partake in "sex events" in America and abroad, prosecutors say. Jeffries and Matthew Smith, his partner, have been accused of paying for men to travel to their New York homes and international hotels, where they performed sex acts.

Jeffries, 80, served as Abercrombie's CEO from 1992 to 2014. The indictment alleges that the sex-trafficking spanned from about 2008 to 2015, though Breon Peace, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said his office believes "dozens and dozens of men" were victims between 1992 and 2015.

During his time at Abercrombie, Jeffries steered the brand toward a more sexualized image, complete with shirtless models greeting shoppers. He was first hired by Les Wexner, a Jeffrey Epstein associate. At the peak of his career, Jeffries earned an annual eight-figure salary. His retirement package was reportedly around $25 million and he earned yearly payments of $1 million that ended last year.