The boyfriend of Abercrombie’s disgraced CEO grinned as he left court on sex trafficking charges, a clumsy ankle monitor cradling his leg.
Matthew Smith, 61, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution in Central Islip Federal Court, presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lee Dunst.
Smith was released under house arrest at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, on a $10 million bond. He had to surrender his passport and was ordered not to travel beyond Long Island, New York City and South Florida.
He plans to use his two homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and a property in Saltaire, Fire Island, as collateral.
His bond was secured by Michael Jeffries, 80, and Jeffries’ wife, Susan, their son and daughter-in-law Andrew and Annabel Jeffries and former A&F executive Vice President Diane Chang and her husband, BBC reported.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Farrell agreed to a bail package without explanation.
She told U.S. Magistrate Judge Lee Dunst that her team plans to serve counsel with discovery this week: Newsday reported.
Smith will step down as trustee for the Jeffries family trust as part of his bond deal. He was instructed not to speak to Jeffries and Jacobson about the case unless their attorneys are present, and not to contact any alleged victims or witnesses.
Matthew C. Smith (center) leaves his arraignment wearing an ankle monitor at Central Islip Federal Court in New York
Mike Jeffries, ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is escorted by his legal team as he leaves court following his arrest in West Palm Beach, Florida, on charges related to a federal investigation into sex trafficking and interstate prostitution
Smith is pictured alongside Jeffries in a shot from the BBC Panorama investigative documentary, after the pair allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a number of men in their New York homes and luxury hotels around the world
Smith’s Miami attorney Joseph Nascimento described his client as Michael Jeffries’ “life partner” during the court hearing on Tuesday, according to Newsday.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys have not discussed the business partners’ long-term relationship, despite Jeffries being married.
After the hearing, Nascimento and his co-counsel David Raben left the courthouse with Smith and did not respond to questions from reporters.
Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, presented Smith with a shopping bag with suggestive silhouettes of torsos as he left the courthouse. BBC reported.
Smith was the last of the trio to appear in court.
In late October, former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries appeared in Islip Central Court in an attempt to deny sexually assaulting 15 young male models between 2008 and 2015.
His alleged fixer James Jacobson, a third man with a prosthetic nose, was arrested in the same case in Wisconsin and also appeared in court with his attorney.
Both men pleaded not guilty to one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution.
The BBC first broke the allegations against Jeffries as the fashion brand’s former boss in a Panorama documentary broadcast in October.
Jeffries was accused of sexually assaulting male models after conducting fake job interviews.
Witnesses were subpoenaed and interviews were underway.
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Jeffries controlled an extensive sex abuse and human trafficking ring that targeted young men.
A 16-page federal indictment alleges that Jeffries, Jacobson and Smith sexually assaulted 15 men between December 2008 and March 2015.
James Jacobson is pictured walking into court in Central Islip, Long Island, in October to answer sex trafficking charges. His prosthetic nose is visible
Jeffries’ reign at Abercrombie & Fitch was dominated by the controversial brand image and the equally controversial comments he made about his customer base.
In October, Jeffries and Smith were arrested at their West Palm Beach home on sex trafficking charges.
Jeffries worked as CEO for Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014.
The alleged victims say they were forcibly given erection health drugs, had their genitals shaved against their will, made to change clothes and subjected to “high-pressure enemas.”
Some victims were not gay and were given the powerful erection-inducing drugs so that they could be forced into gay sex against their will.
Some men, identified in court documents as John Does, claim they were targeted even though they were straight and forced to have gay sex.
Prosecutors say the victims were paid to travel to New York City, England, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthelemy, among other places, to have sex with Jeffries, Smith and others.
Jeffries allegedly used a company he called the Jeffries Family Office to recruit domestic workers to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.”
Prosecutors say staff controlled the entrance and exit of the sex parties and provided the men attending with muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” as well as lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items.
The staff also instructed alleged victims to “wear costumes, use sex toys or prepare for certain sexual acts,” according to court documents.
Smith and Jeffries are accused of injecting men into their penises with “an erection-inducing drug” that caused painful, hours-long reactions to induce them to engage in sexual acts.
Attorney Brad Edwards, who is representing more than a dozen alleged victims in a lawsuit, told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that Jeffries used his role at Abercrombie to lure young male models and sexually assault them.
‘There’s nothing consensual about it. These were young aspiring models who were sought out and promised to essentially be Abercrombie models,” Edwards said.
The men said they were recruited by an intermediary identified as James Jacobson, who denies any wrongdoing
Jeffries worked as CEO for Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014
The men underwent ‘an interview’ with Jeffries before being ‘taken to a room’ where ‘the most heinous sexual crimes were committed against them’, the lawyer said.
They were all forced to wear Abercrombie clothing to events decorated as if it were an Abercrombie store and were required to sign non-disclosure agreements stating that if they ever revealed this, bad things would happen to them at the in terms of reputation, financial and physical.
In October, Jeffries was ordered to house arrest and remained free on a $10 million bond with his home in Fishers Island, New York as collateral.
He was placed under house arrest and is only allowed to leave his property for a court hearing, medical appointments or religious services.
And was ordered to remain in New York, Long Island and Fishers Island, NY until his next court date.
He was also ordered not to possess any firearms and not to have any contact with the co-suspect, any witnesses or the victims.
Jacobson appeared in court in October with his attorney Jeremy Schneider on house arrest and a $500,000 bond.
He had to have a mental health plan. He also looked at his GPS conditions which were similar to Jeffries.
Both Jeffries and Jacobson are due back in federal court on December 12.