Canadian authorities have arrested fashion mogul Peter Nygard at the request of the U.S. justice system, seeking his extradition to face trial for alleged sex crimes.
Peter Nygard, a Finnish-Canadian millionaire, was apprehended in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and NYPD. The U.S. Department of Justice had requested Canada to initiate extradition proceedings against Nygard.
Nygard, aged 79, is facing nine charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking, related to incidents involving multiple victims in the United States, the Bahamas, Canada, and other locations. These alleged crimes span from 1990 to 2020. According to the New York federal attorney overseeing the case, Nygard and his associates, including members of his organization, are accused of using force, fraud, and coercion to engage in sexual activities with women and minors.
The investigation into Nygard had been ongoing for at least five months, with raids conducted by the FBI and New York police at his Manhattan corporate headquarters in February as part of the sex-trafficking probe.
Peter Nygard, whose fortune is estimated at approximately Can$900 million ($700 million) according to Canadian media, vehemently denied all allegations reported by The New York Times. In February, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Nygard in a New York federal court, alleging multiple instances of rape.
This case bears similarities to that of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking young girls, including at his Virgin Islands estate, before he died by suicide in a New York jail last year.
