WINNIPEG — Authorities in the United States say Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been indicted on nine charges including racketeering and sex trafficking.
A news release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York says the charges involve at least dozens of victims in the U.S., the Bahamas and Canada, among other locations.
The U.S. authorities allege that over a 25-year period, Nygard used his fashion company's influence, as well as its employees and funds, to recruit and use women and girls for his sexual gratification and the gratification of his friends and business associates.
The U.S. attorney notes that none of the allegations against Nygard has been proven in court.
The 79-year-old has denied similar allegations in a class-action lawsuit currently on hold in the U.S., blaming a conspiracy caused by a feud with his billionaire neighbour in the Bahamas.
Nygard was arrested under the Extradition Act and is to appear in a Winnipeg courtroom this afternoon.
He stepped down as chairman of his company after the FBI and police raided his offices in New York City in February.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2020.
The Canadian Press
