Top line
Prosecutors on Tuesday called for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to be kept in prison until his trial, calling him “dangerous” and risking escape. The hip-hop artist was charged with three counts, including sex trafficking. He was arrested on Monday evening.
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends the Howard Homecoming – Yardfest at Howard University on October 20, 2023. … (+)
Key data
Prosecutors charged Combs with organized crime, sex trafficking and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. The mogul allegedly committed a “pattern” of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and forcibly coerced women into sexual acts with commercial sex workers, with his employees allegedly helping to facilitate and cover up the abuse.
Combs has been in custody since his arrest Monday evening. Prosecutors have filed a letter with the court requesting an extension of his custody pending trial of his case.
Prosecutors argue that Combs belongs in prison because he is “dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community.” They point to his “long history of violent behavior” and claim he is “a serial offender who repeatedly assaults and coerces women to achieve his own sexual gratification.”
They also claim that, given the charges against Combs, there is a “serious risk of flight” that could result in a lengthy prison sentence. They also argue that they have collected a great deal of evidence that makes it likely that Combs will be convicted.
The letter accuses Combs of attempting to obstruct the investigation against him, including by bribing victims and witnesses to give false testimony. According to prosecutors, this means that there are “simply no conditions” for Combs’ release “that would ensure that the defendant’s attempts to obstruct and influence witnesses would cease.”
Combs’ lawyers have proposed that instead of sending him to prison, he be placed under house arrest and monitored. Prosecutors, however, disagreed, arguing that the proposal was “clearly inadequate” and that there was “no condition or combination of conditions that would reasonably ensure” that Combs would appear in court and “ensure the safety of others and the community, not to mention the integrity of the proceedings.”
Key quote
“The incentive to flee is particularly strong for this defendant because, at age 54, he faces the very real prospect of spending a significant portion of the remainder of his life in prison,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams wrote in his letter to the court.
What you should pay attention to
Combs is scheduled to appear in court later Tuesday, where a decision will likely be made on whether he will remain in custody. It is unclear how long his criminal case will last before it goes to trial, but prosecutors indicated that if convicted, he will almost certainly go to prison. The minimum sentence for the charge against Combs is 15 years, prosecutors said, and the maximum is life in prison. Williams told reporters Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing and it is still possible that more charges could be brought against Combs.
tangent
The letter calling for Combs’ arrest details several specific alleged acts of violence not mentioned in the indictment. They include Combs and one of his accomplices kidnapping an unnamed individual at gunpoint to facilitate “a break-in and entry into the residence” of another unnamed victim. One of Combs’ accomplices also allegedly set fire to the vehicle of the victim whose residence they were attempting to break into by slashing the roof of the car and throwing a Molotov cocktail into the vehicle. “Several witnesses” are willing to testify that Combs “bragged about his role in the destruction” of the car, the letter said. Prosecutors also noted in the letter that Combs employed people who “have significant criminal histories, including violent crimes and firearms offenses.”
Main critics
Combs has not yet formally pleaded guilty or not guilty in the case, but has long denied the sexual assault allegations against him. “He is not guilty, he is innocent of this charge,” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters Tuesday, claiming Combs is in good spirits and “confident” and is “tackling his charges head-on.” In a statement to CNN on Monday after Combs’ arrest, Agnifilo called the charges an “unjustified prosecution” and claimed Combs had “nothing to hide.” He asked people to “reserve their judgment until they know all the facts.”
Important background
Combs was arrested in New York on Monday following a months-long federal investigation following civil lawsuits filed by women accusing him of sexual assault and abuse. The mogul’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was the first to sue him in November 2023 – the suit was settled a day later on undisclosed terms – and CNN reports that 10 lawsuits have now been filed against Combs. While the federal investigation reportedly began with those allegations, CNN reported in May that the investigation had expanded to include organized criminal activity and sex trafficking, among other possible crimes. The indictment accuses Combs of orchestrating a criminal enterprise beginning in 2009 that involved forcibly coercing women into sex at “freak offs,” with Combs allegedly using tactics including violence, drugs and threatening women’s financial and professional stability to coerce them into participating and keeping quiet. Prosecutors accuse Combs of “hitting, punching, throwing objects at and kicking” the women, causing injuries that took days or weeks to heal. Accomplices helped with the abuse and tracked down the women when they tried to escape.
More information
