Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, his partner Matt Smith and a third man, Jim Jacobson, were arrested Tuesday as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation by the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
The investigation involved whether the men sexually exploited and abused young men at parties they hosted in the United States and around the world, the sources said.
Jeffries, the former CEO who transformed Abercrombie from a traditional Ohio outfitter into a powerhouse teen fashion brand, has been accused in civil lawsuits of exploiting young men for sex at parties he hosted at his Hamptons estate in New York, London, Venice and elsewhere with his partner, Smith.
The alleged victims have said they were recruited by a middleman, Jacobson.
One of the plaintiffs, David Bradberry, a former “Below Deck” crewman, said Jeffries made Abercrombie successful by the “oversexualization of young men.”
His lawsuit accused Jeffries, Smith, Jacobson and Abercrombie itself of luring attractive young men under the guise of making them an Abercrombie model and then forcing them to take drugs and perform sex acts.
The defendants led the men to believe that attending the events would help their careers, including their chances of getting Abercrombie modeling gigs – or that not complying could harm their prospects, the indictment says.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
Federal prosecutors acknowledged the investigation in January after alleged victims filed a civil lawsuit a year ago.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has launched a criminal investigation of the alleged events and occurrences discussed in Plaintiff’s Complaint,” prosecutors said in a court filing.
The attorney for the plaintiff, Brad Edwards of Edwards Henderson, told ABC News in a statement: “As we laid out in our lawsuit, this was an Abercrombie run, sex trafficking organization that permeated throughout the company and allowed the three individuals arrested today to victimize dozens and dozens of young, aspiring male models.”
Attorneys for Smith and Jeffries released the following identical statements:
“We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse – not the media.”
Jeffries became CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 1992 and left in 2014. The New Albany, Ohio-based company declined to comment on his arrest.
AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) — University of Texas and Southeastern Conference officials both condemned fans who threw bottles and other trash onto the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night, following a controversial call that initially went against the Longhorns, before officials reversed their own call.
“While we deeply appreciate the passion and loyalty of our fan base at The University of Texas at Austin, we do not condone the unsportsmanlike conduct that was exhibited by some individuals throwing objects onto the field during last night’s game and sincerely apologize to the University of Georgia players, coaches and fans, as well as the Southeastern Conference and officiating crew,” UT officials said in a statement. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
“Respect, sportsmanship, and fairness are the values that drive our program, and we expect all of our fans to uphold these standards,” the statement continued. “We are committed to fostering a positive environment for all participants, teams, officials and fans, and we will take steps to ensure that this type of behavior does not happen again.”
The incident began in the final minutes of the third quarter of Saturday’s game, when officials initially called Texas for defensive pass interference, wiping out a 36-yard interception return by cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Coach Steve Sarkisian headed toward the far corner of the field, signaling to the student section to settle down and quit throwing things. Meanwhile, the officials were discussing the play, and decided to reverse their own call.
Southeastern Conference officials weighed in on the officials’ decision-making process in a statement early Sunday morning. “The game officials gathered to discuss the play, which is permitted to ensure the proper penalty is enforced, at which time the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul should not have been called for defensive pass interference. Consequently, Texas was awarded the ball at the Texas 9 yard line.”
“While the original evaluation and assessment of the penalty was not properly executed, it is unacceptable to have debris thrown on the field at any time,” the SEC statement continued. “The disruption of the game due to debris being thrown onto the field will be reviewed by the Conference office related to SEC sportsmanship policies and procedures.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It’s starting to feel more like September again as high temperatures trend toward 90 degrees, but there is a pattern change coming next week that should at least bring back some opportunities for rain.
Temperatures Tuesday morning will once again drop into the upper 50s and lower 60s for most inland locations with patchy fog possible before sunrise. At the very least, expect a heavy dew on the ground to start the day.
If you’re going to vote early on Tuesday, the best time of day to get stuck outside in a line will be in the morning when temperatures are still in the 60s and 70s. All afternoon will be spent in the 80s with the high peaking around 87 degrees. The sky will vary from clear to partly cloudy throughout the day.
When could we see our next chance of rain?
Rain chances look slim this week, but there is a pocket of moisture sliding in south of I-10 on Friday that’s good enough to warrant a 10% chance of a shower. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until closer to Halloween for a pattern change that should bring up moisture levels significantly and eventually bring about some rain chances.
What weather scenarios are on the table for Halloween?
For now it will most likely be a warm, humid Halloween with a small chance for streamer showers blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico. An alternate scenario with a slim chance of occurring is for a cool front to slip in on or just before Halloween to bring a line of storms and possibly some cooler weather behind it. We’ll hopefully have more clarity on which scenario winds out by this weekend!
Speaking of the weekend, how does the forecast look for now?
The final weekend of October will be like most of the others this month: Unseasonably warm and humid with lows in the 60s and highs in the upper 80s.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
Tropical Storm Oscar should move northeast back into the Atlantic Tuesday. It will not be a threat to the mainland United States. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for a complete look at what we’re covering in the tropics.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — An extramarital affair nearly turned deadly over the weekend after a woman allegedly conspired with her husband to kill the man she was cheating with.
Officers with the Houston Police Department responded to the scene at a Chick-fil-A on Westheimer at about 9 p.m. Saturday.
Hanna Alolaimi, and her husband, Omar Bishtawi, faced a judge on Monday where they were both charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
According to court records, Alolaimi was the one having the affair.
“It is alleged that you were both married to other people, and when the complaining witness found out about the relationship, the complaining witness broke off the relationship,” a magistrate said.
Alolaimi didn’t walk away from the situation. Instead, she devised a plan to allegedly kill and kidnap the man she was having an affair with.
Court records reveal how she recruited her husband to hide in her backseat as she staged a meet-up with the victim.
At the time, the victim was working as a DoorDash delivery driver when he picked up an order at Chick-fil-A.
“It is alleged that you (Alolaimi) gestured to the complaining witness, and the complaining witness got into your vehicle,” the magistrate said.
According to court records, Alolaimi and the victim would often go behind the nearby Target and hook up.
It’s just across from the apartment complex where police say both of them lived.
The night of the shooting, Alolaimi allegedly chose the nearby Chick-fil-A on purpose, hoping to lure the victim to their usual spot.
“(Alolaimi) tried to drive off with the complaining witness, although the complaining witness told you that he had a delivery and could not go,” the magistrate said.
Details read aloud in court allege the victim had no idea Alolaimi’s husband was also there for the rendezvous.
“Your husband jumped out from under a curtain that was in the backseat of the vehicle. He put the complaining witness in a chokehold and pressed a firearm to the complaining witness’s head,” the magistrate said.
According to investigators on the scene Saturday night, the victim tried to get away, and that’s when Bishtawi shot him. Once in the leg and once in the foot.
“Which could have caused death due to the complaining witness bleeding out,” the magistrate said.
The couple ultimately drove off but later called police to surrender.
According to court records, the pair gave conflicting statements to officers.
They’ve since been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — An extramarital affair nearly turned deadly over the weekend after a woman allegedly conspired with her husband to kill the man she was cheating with.
Officers with the Houston Police Department responded to the scene at a Chick-fil-A on Westheimer at about 9 p.m. Saturday.
Hanna Alolaimi, and her husband, Omar Bishtawi, faced a judge on Monday where they were both charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
According to court records, Alolaimi was the one having the affair.
“It is alleged that you were both married to other people, and when the complaining witness found out about the relationship, the complaining witness broke off the relationship,” a magistrate said.
Alolaimi didn’t walk away from the situation. Instead, she devised a plan to allegedly kill and kidnap the man she was having an affair with.
Court records reveal how she recruited her husband to hide in her backseat as she staged a meet-up with the victim.
At the time, the victim was working as a DoorDash delivery driver when he picked up an order at Chick-fil-A.
“It is alleged that you (Alolaimi) gestured to the complaining witness, and the complaining witness got into your vehicle,” the magistrate said.
According to court records, Alolaimi and the victim would often go behind the nearby Target and hook up.
It’s just across from the apartment complex where police say both of them lived.
The night of the shooting, Alolaimi allegedly chose the nearby Chick-fil-A on purpose, hoping to lure the victim to their usual spot.
“(Alolaimi) tried to drive off with the complaining witness, although the complaining witness told you that he had a delivery and could not go,” the magistrate said.
Details read aloud in court allege the victim had no idea Alolaimi’s husband was also there for the rendezvous.
“Your husband jumped out from under a curtain that was in the backseat of the vehicle. He put the complaining witness in a chokehold and pressed a firearm to the complaining witness’s head,” the magistrate said.
According to investigators on the scene Saturday night, the victim tried to get away, and that’s when Bishtawi shot him. Once in the leg and once in the foot.
“Which could have caused death due to the complaining witness bleeding out,” the magistrate said.
The couple ultimately drove off but later called police to surrender.
According to court records, the pair gave conflicting statements to officers.
They’ve since been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland’s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.
The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas man whose execution was halted after a last-ditch maneuver by lawmakers who believe Robert Roberson did not kill his 2-year-old daughter was expected to testify before a state House panel on Monday, four days after he had been scheduled to die by lethal injection.
Roberson had been set to become the first person in the U.S. executed over a murder conviction connected to a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. His claims of innocence are backed by a group of Republican and Democratic legislators who say he was convicted based on outdated science.
Once Roberson testifies to lawmakers, prosecutors could seek a new execution date at any time, according to Gretchen Sween, one of his attorneys.
Lawmakers have sought to have Roberson transported from death row to appear in person, raising the possibility of an extraordinary scene in the Texas Capitol, but the state attorney general’s office told the committee he would appear virtually.
Rebuffed by the courts and Texas’ parole board in their efforts to spare Roberson’s life, legislators last Thursday subpoenaed Roberson to testify in an unusual tactic to buy him more time. Lawmakers on the House committee have expressed frustration with Texas’ junk science law, which they say has failed to work as intended, including in Roberson’s case.
The 2013 law allows a person convicted of a crime to seek relief if the evidence used against them is no longer credible. At the time, it was hailed by the Legislature as a uniquely future-proof solution to wrongful convictions based on faulty science. But Roberson’s supporters say his case points to faults in the judicial system where the law has been weakened by deliberate misinterpretation from the state’s highest criminal court.
In the last 10 years, 74 applications have been filed and ruled on under the junk science law. A third of applications were submitted by people facing the death penalty. All of them were unsuccessful.
Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell, whose office prosecuted Roberson, has previously told the committee that a court hearing was held in 2022 in which Roberson’s attorneys presented their new evidence to a judge, who rejected their claims.
Roberson was sentenced to death for the killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2002. Prosecutors argued the infant’s death was caused by serious head trauma from being violently shaken back and forth. Roberson’s attorneys say that the bruising on Curtis’ body was likely due to complications with severe pneumonia and not child abuse.
Almost 90 lawmakers across party lines, medical experts and best-selling author John Grisham had called on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to stay his execution. Abbott has not commented on Roberson’s case and the Texas parole board rejected pleas to grant clemency.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — ABC13 learned the aviation obstruction lights at the top of a radio tower hit by a helicopter in a deadly crash in Houston’s Second Ward have a history of not working.
SkyEye reporter Don Armstrong said in his years of flying in helicopters, the radio tower at Engelke Street and Ennis Street in the Second Ward has always worried him because the aviation obstruction lighting — the red flashing lights at the top of the tower — are often out.
With the background of downtown Houston behind the tower coming up from the south, Don said the tower would be almost impossible to see unless you knew it was there.
Don said part of a pilot’s check before they take off is to see if there are problems with any towers around town. He said the Second Ward tower reported the lighting being out to the FAA just days ago on Oct. 17.
ABC13 obtained surveillance video that shows the moment the helicopter crashed into the tower, killing all four people on board, including a child. The ages and identities of the victims were not immediately released.
In the surveillance video, it appeared at least one light on the tower was on, though it’s unclear if the lights were in full working order.
The investigation is ongoing into the helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child near downtown Houston. Here’s what we know so far.
Now, the investigation into what exactly went wrong begins. The NTSB said te helicopter was operating as an air tour flight when it crashed, and a fire ensued.
Several of the streets around the crash site were blocked off on Monday morning as this investigation continued.
“We had a caller coming to the station. There’s a large collapse behind the station with smoke showing. We’re trying to find the exact location,” first responders were heard reporting on radio traffic.
The deadly crash happened right by Fire Station 17 just before 8 p.m. Sunday.
Officials said the private helicopter took off from Ellington Field. It’s unclear where it was headed.
There area a lot of homes and businesses in the area where it crashed. Thankfully, the helicopter didn’t hit anything else on the way down and officials said no one on the ground was hurt.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz has a message for residents in the area as they wake up and may see some pieces of the helicopter.
“It will be a large investigation because of the expanse of the accident. So make sure that if you actually see something on the ground that you notify either fire or dial the police department so that we can make sure to come out and recover it,” Diaz said.The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Houston Police Department, and Houston Fire Department area all investigating.
BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y. — On Wednesday, Shahlise Cherry and her friend Deborah Arnone went to visit a fondly remembered past, one that helped to reshape retailing in America.
Their cart was full of close-out bargains, like a coffee maker and a set of bowls, things they didn’t necessarily come looking for but which they couldn’t pass up at 70% off regular price.
It’s been awhile since she’d been there, Cherry said, even though she was once a regular shopper.
“It was out of my loop for so long,” she said. “They didn’t have many of the things I needed.”
With the store closing Sunday, Kmart joins the list of once iconic retailers, such as Toys “R” Us, RadioShack, Pier 1, Bed Bath & Beyond and most of what’s left of Kmart’s corporate sibling Sears, once-successful chains that used to populate America’s malls and shopping centers but have ended up in retailing’s graveyard in recent years.
Shoppers like Arnone and Cherry might fondly remember shopping at Kmart or other now defunct stores, but a combination of competition from bigger and better retailers, bad management, failed acquisitions by hedge funds and private equity firms and changing shopping behavior have combined to kill the stores they once loved.
While the Bridgehampton Kmart’s closing wasn’t a surprise to Cherry and Arnone, they were surprised to hear this is the last full-size, mainland Kmart.
“This was our go-to when we were growing up,” said Cherry, who said she used to buy all her school supplies at the store.
“Whatever we needed, come back here multiple times a week, sometimes in the same day,” she said. “We’d come to hang out here with our friends.”
When it closes, all that will be left is one smaller Kmart with limited items in Miami and a few stores in the US Virgin Islands and Guam, markets too small and remote for competitors like Walmart – or even Amazon – to bother with.
The demise of a former trendsetter
The Bridgehampton store opened in 1999, taking the place of a former regional discount store, Caldor. For many of the previous 30 to 40 years prior, Kmart was a major force in US retailing.
The chain started in the late 19th century, when founder Sebastian Spering Kresge opened a five-and-dime store in downtown Detroit bearing his name. In 1962, the store adopted the Kmart brand.
The chain grew rapidly for several decades, claiming the discount segment of the market that big box stores now dominate.
Kmart became known for its 15-minute-long “blue light specials:” A store would flash a blue light and announce “attention Kmart shoppers” over the public address system, and customers would rush to buy discounted goods. The promotions started in 1965 but were discontinued in 1991, although Kmart tried to bring them back several times.
But the chain was also doomed by a number of bad corporate decisions and failed strategies.
In the early 1990s, Kmart went on a buying spree, purchasing Sports Authority, a majority of OfficeMax and book retailer Borders. It sold all three a few years later. Sports Authority and Borders eventually went out of business after their own bankruptcies.
Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, when it had 2,100 stores. It was the largest US retailer bankruptcy at that time.
But a disastrous merger with Sears in 2005 made the situation even worse.
The $11 billion merger was engineered by hedge fund operator Eddie Lampert. At the time Kmart still had about 1,400 stores and Sears nearly 900 full-line US stores.
But Lampert appeared more focused on selling off the real estate the two companies had, along with other assets such as the Craftsman brand of tools previously sold only at Sears, rather than in investing in either chain, leading to a bankruptcy filing in 2018.
When the retailer emerged from bankruptcy it still had 231 Sears and 191 Kmart stores, but those were also almost all doomed. Today only a handful of Sears stores remain, as well.
Now, the shuttering of the Long Island Kmart will close one more chapter in that merger.
A store for ‘regular people’
By Wednesday, the back of the Bridgehampton store was already empty not just of merchandise but even its shelving, the empty footprint of which could be seen on the floor. An empty space roughly the size of a football field filled the back half of the store.
The front of the store had signs advertising 70% off regular prices and warning shoppers that all sales were final. The selection was extremely limited. Toys, once a Kmart staple, made up a small fraction of one aisle’s shelves.
Bridgehampton is on the far eastern end of Long Island, in the middle of the wealthy vacation area known as the Hamptons. But Kmart didn’t cater to the rich vacation crowd but rather to the locals who worked in the area. The nearest Walmart and Target stores are about 25 miles away in Riverhead, roughly a 45-minute drive. The last full-size Kmart in the contiguous United States had been able to survive longer than other stores based on that limited competition.
“We need a store like this,” said Arnone. “There’s nothing in the Hamptons for regular people to shop in.”
But in much of the country, it had been years since Kmart was able to compete with more successful big box competitors like Walmart and Target, which offered shoppers groceries as well as clothing, household goods and tools, along with the growth of online shopping.
The sad ‘end of an era’
Shopper Sarah Bullock remembers going to Kmart for toys for her children and eventually her grandchildren. Wednesday she was brought to the Bridgehampton store by her grandson, who is now an adult.
“I always liked the prices. I’m sad to see it go,” she said. “It’s the bargains I think about when I think of Kmart.”
Her cart was full of clothing for family members and a snow shovel.
Bullock said she never shops online. But that wasn’t the case for other shoppers at the store Wednesday.
“I remember going shopping at Kmart with my dad. We used to buy everything here,” said Jessica Cohan, who had her four-year-old son Lucas in her cart along with a Smoky Joe grill, Valentines cards, winter hats and an assortment of other items. “But now, like everyone else, I do a lot of my shopping online. It’s a lot more convenient.”
Victoria and Seth Black were on their way out of the store after picking up a few random items – Chinet paper napkins, Scunci hair ties, some winter mittens and a beach hat.
They remember shopping at this store regularly in the past.
“Everything is very expensive out here,” Victoria Black said. “We needed a store like this.”
But their visits had been limited to maybe once or twice a year more recently, as they found it tougher to find the things they wanted there.
The demise of the chain, and the Bridgehampton store, brought back memories for the shoppers this week.
“It’s sad,” said Arnone. “It’s the end of an era. We shopped here for Christmas every year. It was a mainstay out here.”
HOUSTON, Texas — A growing Houston restaurant group is ready to unveil its latest creation. Maven at Sawyer Yards will open this Friday, October 18.
Located in a former commercial trucking station on the Sawyer Yards campus (1501 Silver St.), the new restaurant is an evolution of Maven Coffee + Cocktails, the beverage-focused concept created by Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his business partners, local entrepreneur Juan Carlos de Aldecoa and attorney Jimmy Doan as part of the Rex Hospitality Group.
Currently, Maven operates coffee shops and cocktail bars at Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, and the Thompson Hotel, but the new Sawyer Yards location is an all-day restaurant that opens at 7 am daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The 2,400-square-foot space has been divided into a main dining room, bar, and an outdoor patio.
TAMPA, Fla. — The man who gained social media fame with TikTok posts as he was riding out two hurricanes in his boat has been arrested in Tampa, Florida.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrest records show Joseph Malinowski, 54, known as “Lt. Dan” after his TikTok posts, was arrested Friday for trespassing and failure to appear in court on previous charges of operating an unregistered vehicle and having no valid drivers license.
Malinowski rejected pleas from officials to seek shelter and instead remained in his boat during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Malinowsky, whose nickname comes from a character in the movie “Forrest Gump” who rides out a hurricane in a boat, remained jailed Saturday, according to online jail records.
Court records do not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
