News | September 20th, 2024

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested, indicted and remaining in federal custody

By: Jarrett Johnson | Staff Writer

On Monday evening, Homeland Security agents arrested music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs at a New York City hotel, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has now indicted him.

The New York Federal Authorities have indicted Combs on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and interstate transportation to engage in prostitution. They accuse Combs of abusing, threatening and coercing victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct between at least 2008 and the present.

According to the unsealed 14-page indictment against Combs, he “relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multi-faceted business that he led and controlled-creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”

The indictment also states that Combs held ‘Freak Offs,’ or elaborate sex performances in which he drugged and coerced women into extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers. Combs arranged these events, facilitated by his staff, and sometimes lasted multiple days. Prosecutors say his actions were “enabled by the apparatus he built with his business.”

This comes after a series of sexual assault lawsuits beginning in November when Comb’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura “pulled the trigger” and accused the rapper of rape, sex trafficking, and physical abuse. Similar suits continued until earlier this month when former Bad Boy Records artist Dawn Richard sued Combs on 21 counts of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination, and copyright infringement.

A federal investigation of Combs and his alleged criminal activities began earlier this year, with simultaneous raids of his Miami and Los Angeles homes in March.

Over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant and other “evidence” of the crimes in the indictment were discovered in these raids, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at a press conference Tuesday. During the raids, law enforcement officials discovered three AR-15 guns broken down into parts with defaced serial numbers. Large-capacity magazines were also discovered and suspected to be used to intimidate and threaten victims into obedience.

“[Homeland Security agents] ceased evidence of the ‘Freak Offs.’ Electronic devices that contain evidence and videos of the ‘Freak Offs’ with multiple victims.” Attorney Williams said.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams speaks about federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sept. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Attorney Williams says that he is “not taking anything off the table ” when asked if he foresees other charges related to the case.

“The investigation is ongoing. That means both to him and anyone else that we believe committed the crime with him,” Williams responds when asked about further charges for Combs and subsequent charges for his associates.

On Tuesday afternoon in court, Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested through his lawyers to be released to a home detention with electronic GPS monitoring on a $50 million bond.

According to Rolling Stone, Combs “promised to submit to weekly drug testing, bar any women apart from family members from visiting him and have no contact with people who are considered witnesses in the embattled hip-hop mogul’s sex trafficking and racketeering case.”

According to USA Today, Judge Andrew L. Carter denied Combs’ legal team’s appeal on Wednesday due to the risk of witness tampering and obstruction in his case. Combs will remain in federal custody as he awaits trial.

Outside the New York Court, Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said, “We are considering our next steps and appealing the court’s ruling from today,” and that he is “going to try and get his case to trial as quickly as possible.”

October 9 is Combs’ next scheduled court hearing. Agnifilo told CNN that he will again appeal the ruling.

If found guilty, combs could face a minimum of 15 years to life in prison.

Authorities have not yet released the dates for the trial.