Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs latest: Rapper denied bail on sex trafficking and racketeering charges as accusers speak out
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has faced a series of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual abuse over the last year
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Accusers of Sean “Diddy” Combs have spoken after the music mogul was indicted and accused of running a decades-long “criminal enterprise” that forced women into sex acts “to fulfill his sexual desires.”
The rapper appeared in a New York federal court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
After, his accusers spoke out. Natania Reuben, who claims Combs shot her in the face during a 1999 nightclub shooting, told The Daily Beast it was “one of the best days ever.”
Combs was acquitted on those charges, but Reuben claims he evaded justice.
Lawyers for Combs asked a magistrate judge to allow the rapper to remain on house arrest, but the judge ordered the rapper be jailed at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until trial.
Combs is expected to appear in court again today where his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, will attempt to appeal the bail decision.
Agnifilo said Combs was “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
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What are the latest allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as he’s arrested in New York?
What is the maximum sentence Combs could face?
Combs is charged with three federal crimes.
- One count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
- One count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison
- One count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Combs proposes $50m bond
Attorneys for music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs have proposed to a federal judge a $50 million bond package for his release after being charged with three federal crimes.
Combs proposed the multi-million dollar bond, secured by his equity in his Miami residence and his mother’s home in Miami.
Additionally, it would be co-signed by his three adult sons, Quincy Brown, Justin Combs and Christian Combs; his mother Janice Combs; sister Keisha Combs; and the mother of his eldest daughter, Sarah Chapman.
Combs’ attorney said his passport has been surrendered since April 1, 2024, as well as the passports of his mother and four daughters. They said he has agreed to a home detention with GPS monitoring.
The U.S. Attorney is asking the judge to detain Diddy until his trial begins, claiming he is dangerous and poses a flight risk.
Others could be charged
According to the indictment, Combs did not act alone in allegedly coercing female victims into participating in “Freak Offs” and concealing physical, sexual and emotional abuse from the world. However, he is the only one charged.
But others could be charged and may currently be under investigation, U.S. attorney Damian Williams said on Tuesday.
“We are not done,” Williams said telling reporters the investigation remains ongoing.
This means Combs could also be charged with other crimes in a superseding indictment should prosecutors find more evidence of wrongdoing.
King Combs, son of Diddy, arrives at federal court
King Combs, the 26-year-old son of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived at the Manhattan federal court where his father is being arraigned on three charges related to sex trafficking and violating RICO.
US attorney will seek to have Combs detained
The government wants to keep Combs detained while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said on Tuesday.
“The defendant is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community. If released, he remains a serious risk of flight, despite the conditions offered by his counsel. Most glaringly, the defendant also poses a significant risk of obstructing justice,” Williams wrote in a letter to the judge.
The U.S. attorney said Combs has “already tried” to obstruct the government’s case by repeatedly contacting victims and witnesses and feeding them false narratives of the events.
Diddy charged with sex trafficking and racketeering
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul who has faced allegations of sexual abuse, was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution after a federal grand jury in New York chose to bring an indictment against him.
Read more here:
Diddy charged with sex trafficking and racketeering as he appears in federal court
Music mogul is accused of running a ‘criminal enterprise’ to assist him in engaging in sexual, physical and emotional abuse against women
Federal agents found AR-15s and ‘1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant’ in Combs home
When federal agents raided Combs’ home in March, they allegedly found items related to the so-called “Freak Offs” that Combs hosted and weapons that were used to intimidate victims, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Williams said evidence of the “Freak Offs” included more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that were used during the forced sexual acts and electronic devices that contained images and videos of the “Freak Offs” with multiple victims.
Additionally, three AR-15s with the serial number defaced and large-capacity drum magazines (59 rounds). These were allegedly brandished to intimidate victims into participating in “Freak Offs”.
Williams said agents found a firearm in Combs’ bedroom closet in his Miami home.
Watch Live: Outside of the courthouse where Diddy is set to appear
Watch live: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs expected in New York court after hotel arrest
Watch live as Sean "Diddy" Combs is expected to be arraigned at a courthouse in New York on Tuesday, 17 September, after he was arrested in Manhattan by federal agents on Monday evening.
Diddy expected to plead not guilty
Combs is expected to plead “not guilty” to the three federal criminal charges in his arraignment on Tuesday.
“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might, and the full confidence of his lawyers. And I expect a long battle with a good result for Combs,” his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside of the courthouse.
What other allegations has Combs faced?
Combs has faced multiple accusations of sexual abuse, rape and sexual misconduct over the last year.
In November of 2023, R&B singer Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit alleging that she was trafficked, raped and beaten by Combs on many occasions over 10 years
She claimed Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him, and signed her to his label in 2005 when she was just 19 and he was 37. Ventura claimed that the pattern of abuse began as soon as their relationship started.
An anonymous woman also filed a lawsuit, accusing Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall of rape.
April Lampros, a woman who met Diddy while she was a student – claimed he had sexually assaulted her multiple times between 1995 and the early 2000s.
Dawn Richard, a former bandmate, accused the music mogul of physically and sexually abusing her and others while the two worked together, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.
Former model Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit claiming the rapper sexually assaulted her at his recording studio in New York City in 2003.
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