In Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was refused bail about an indictment alleging sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Over ten years, he is accused of spearheading a criminal organization that coerced women into drug-fueled sex exhibitions.
Sean “Diddy” Combs in the Sex-Trafficking Case Refused Bail:
According to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Combs has been detained by the federal government since his arrest. How long the criminal case against Combs takes to go from here is unknown. The prosecutor also said that the investigation into Combs and his associates is still underway and that further charges may be brought. In addition to his criminal prosecution, Combs is still the subject of many civil lawsuits brought by women who allege the businessman sexually assaulted them.
Disappointing Choice:
“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” Agnifilo urged reporters on Monday, expressing disappointment with the US Attorney’s Office’s decision to pursue what they see as an unfair prosecution of Mr. Combs. As claimants have filed civil cases against Combs, he has consistently rejected the claims of sexual assault against him. In a since-deleted social media post, Combs stated, “Let me be obvious: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
The indictment seems to allude to a video that was released to the public in May, which purportedly shows Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. The incident attracted a lot of attention, and Combs later issued an apology. “My actions in that video are unacceptable. I accept full responsibility for what I did in that video,” Combs declared, adding that he subsequently “sought out professional treatment.” According to the indictment, Combs allegedly assaulted women on multiple occasions between 2009 and 2016, and the incident shown in the 2016 video was one of those times. Combs also reportedly tried to buy off a hotel employee so that he would not speak out about the assault, even though witnesses to some of the incidents allegedly saw the assault.
Prosecutors Statement:
Prosecutors contend that Combs and his cronies coerced women into taking part in his “Freak Offs” and staying in his sphere of influence via money, intimidation, and physical harm. According to the indictment, Combs would use the money he gave them as leverage to offer them professional prospects, manage their looks and health information, follow them down, and provide them with lodging. Victims felt they could not oppose Combs’ demands “without risking their financial or job security” or exposing themselves to mistreatment, according to the prosecution. Additionally, according to the trial, Combs would occasionally keep women hidden for many days to hide injuries they had suffered. Combs’ colleagues were said to assist Combs “in locating and contacting victims who attempted to flee his abuse.”
If someone attacked Combs’ reputation—and it should be noted that Combs and his associates carried firearms—with “threats of violence, threats of financial and reputational harm, and verbal abuse,” Combs reportedly utilized violence, including “kidnapping and arson.” Prosecutors claim that after Combs’s charges surfaced last year, he and his staff paid victims to keep quiet and provide false information to the police.
According to the indictment, during the investigation of Combs’ homes in March, authorities found more than a thousand bottles of baby oil and lubricant in addition to other “various Freak Off supplies.” Along with the weapons and ammo, the investigators claim to have discovered “three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers” and a drum magazine. This high-capacity magazine can hold a lot of rounds.
Racketeering Charge:
A criminal business that exhibits a pattern of racketeering activity—underlying offenses that may or may not be prosecuted in and of themselves—and an organized scheme that impacts domestic or international trade is charged with racketeering. However, many businesses may use itally to punish organized crime. For example, former President Donald Trump and his aides were charged with state racketeering in Georgia for their efforts to rig the 2020 election.
Prosecutors in this case contend that Combs and his colleagues participated in racketeering using an alleged plot to transport sex workers, deceive and abuse women, and then hide the abuse. Since sex workers were purportedly transferred across state lines, this scheme involved interstate commerce. The indictment claims that during the alleged scheme, Combs and his associates committed several underlying crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering, forced labor, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and the possession and distribution of substances classified as controlled substances.
As of June, Forbes pegged Combs’s net worth at around $400 million. The mogul’s fortune has decreased due to accusations against him; before this, Forbes projected Combs’ net worth to be $740 million in 2019.
When Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, she claimed he had sexually assaulted her and repeatedly mistreated her. This is when the allegations against Combs first surfaced. A day after it was filed, the complaint was settled for secret sums of money, but it soon gave rise to several additional legal suits in which Combs was accused of abuse and violence. According to a News Channel story on Monday, ten cases have been filed against Combs overall. One of the cases names Combs as a defendant, although the allegations center on his son, Christian Combs. The media tycoon has always refuted the charges brought against him.
Although the civil cases against Combs served as the foundation for the federal investigation into him, News Channel revealed in May that the probe had expanded to encompass organized crime, “sex trafficking, money laundering, and illegal drugs.” News Channel reported that federal agents spoke with the women who made accusations against Combs in addition to searching his houses in Miami and Los Angeles.
