CNN
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The first paragraph of the three-count federal indictment against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs lays out in comprehensive summary the serious and far-reaching allegations against him.

“For decades, Sean Combs, aka ‘Puff Daddy,’ aka ‘P. Diddy,’ aka ‘Diddy,’ aka ‘PD,’ aka ‘Love,’ the defendant abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” the indictment states. “In doing so, Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire he ran and controlled – creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other things.”

The indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York charges Combs with three counts: conspiracy to commit organized crime, sex trafficking and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

Former prosecutor explains how much prison sentence Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces for one of the charges

Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday afternoon.

Specifically, the indictment accuses Combs of running a “criminal organization” with other partners and employees, and alleges that he organized drug-induced “freak-offs” with victims and sex workers. It mentions cases of physical and sexual abuse and describes what law enforcement found when they raided his homes in March.

Here are some of the key findings from the indictment.

The first count in the indictment is conspiracy to commit organized crime, a federal crime used to combat organized crime syndicates (known as “enterprises”) such as the Mafia.

In the Combs case, the “Combs Enterprise” consisted of Combs, the head, business units including his record label Bad Boy Entertainment, and employees and associates including security personnel, house staff, personal assistants and high-level supervisors, the indictment states.

“Members and employees of Combs Enterprise have engaged in or attempted to engage in activities such as sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, coercion and solicitation for prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” the indictment states.

The indictment lists eight purposes of Combs Enterprise, including the legal operation of a media, entertainment and lifestyle company.

Other goals included maintaining Combs’ power through violence, threats and abuse, satisfying his personal sexual desires through the exploitation of women and the use of sex workers, enabling him and others to commit sexual violence and sex trafficking, and protecting the company from prosecution through “intimidation, manipulation, bribery and threats of retaliation” against witnesses.

Victims and sex workers participated in “Freak Offs”

The indictment states that Combs held so-called “freak offs,” elaborate sex performances in which he drugged his victims and forced them to engage in extended sexual acts with male sex workers.

These “freak offs” occurred regularly and sometimes lasted for several days, the indictment states.

The events were arranged by Combs and carried out by his associates and employees, the indictment says. The associates arranged the trips for victims and sex workers, booked hotel rooms, supplied them with drugs, baby oil, lubricant and extra bedding, cleaned the rooms afterward and gave Combs large sums of cash to pay the sex workers, the indictment says.

Diddy also kept videos that he had made of his victims engaging in sexual acts, sometimes without their knowledge, the indictment says. He allegedly used these videos to exercise control over his victims.

“Combs also used the sensitive, embarrassing and incriminating recordings he made during the freak-offs as collateral to compel the victims’ continued obedience and silence,” the indictment states.

Surveillance video shows Sean “Diddy” Combs physically attacking his ex-girlfriend in 2016

The indictment alleges years of abuse against Combs, specifically citing surveillance video obtained exclusively by CNN that shows him beating his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, the artist known as Cassie, in a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016.

Combs “continually and extensively abused women and other persons,” the indictment states. “This abuse was at times verbal, emotional, physical and sexual.”

The physical abuse in particular was “recurring and widely known,” the indictment states. It had occurred “numerously” since around 2009 and had continued for years.

The indictment highlights an incident at a Los Angeles hotel in or around March 2016, “captured on video and later made public,” showing Combs kicking, dragging and throwing a vase at a woman. When a hotel employee intervened, Combs attempted to bribe him to keep quiet, the indictment continues.

The details match CNN’s reporting in May of the video showing Combs punching and kicking Ventura, who is not named in the indictment.

In November 2023, Ventura sued Combs, accusing him of rape and years of abuse. A lawyer for Combs subsequently said he “vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.” A settlement was reached a day after the lawsuit was filed.

The explosive surveillance video contradicted Combs’ earlier comments denying any wrongdoing. A few days later, he posted an Instagram video apologizing.

“My behavior in this video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in this video,” he said.

During raids on Combs’ homes, law enforcement seized weapons and “Freak Off” paraphernalia

According to the indictment, law enforcement seized weapons, ammunition, drugs and a large quantity of baby oil and lubricant during searches of Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March.

According to the indictment, law enforcement seized “various freak-off items” from his home, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Combs’ friends carried firearms at times and accuses Combs of brandishing firearms “to intimidate and threaten others.” During searches of his homes, officers seized firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with obliterated serial numbers and a drum magazine, the indictment states.

The indictment accuses numerous victims, including women and sex workers, but does not specify the number of victims.

The prosecutor’s letter requesting Combs be detained before trial states that “dozens of victims and witnesses have provided detailed, credible and corroborated information against the defendant,” adding up the total number of victims and witnesses. In another part of the letter, the prosecutor’s office states that it has “conducted interviews with over 50 victims and witnesses” and said that number is expected to grow.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams remained vague when asked to specify the number of victims at a news conference on Tuesday. “We intentionally say ‘several,'” he said.

The sex trafficking charge, meanwhile, is based on allegations against a single, unnamed “Victim I” between about 2009 and about 2018, the indictment states.