Music mogul Sean Combs, known globally as Diddy, has been hit with serious federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, paints a damning picture of Combs’ alleged involvement in a criminal enterprise.
This organization is said to have operated for years, abusing, coercing, and threatening women.
The accusations also include forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors claim Combs, now 54, enlisted his employees to assist in carrying out these crimes.
Combs is expected to be arraigned later this week in a Manhattan federal courthouse.
His indictment comes just a day after he was arrested at a Manhattan hotel, following a federal investigation that reportedly began earlier this year.
Read the full indictment here.
In March, federal agents raided Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach as part of the probe.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams revealed that federal agents seized three defaced AR-15 rifles and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and personal lubricant from Diddy’s Miami and Los Angeles homes during a March raid.
He also noted video and photos of the “Freakoffs” have been obtained.
They also seized evidence of the freakoffs. Electronic devices that contain images and videos of the freakoffs with multiple victims.
With this arrest, Combs becomes one of the most high-profile figures in the music industry to face criminal charges for sexual misconduct since R&B artist R. Kelly, who was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for child sex crimes, trafficking, and racketeering.
Related: Take Dat! Take Dat! Diddy Taken Into Federal Custody In New York
A pioneer in the hip-hop industry, Combs rose to prominence in the 1990s and 2000s, shaping the careers of iconic artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige.
However, his public image began to unravel last November when ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, known as Cassie, filed a lawsuit accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse.
The lawsuit was settled in just one day, with Combs denying all wrongdoing.
But the legal battles didn’t stop there.
Five additional women came forward, filing successive lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, with Combs’ legal team still fighting those cases in court.
In response to his arrest, Combs’ legal team expressed disappointment over the charges.
In a statement, they defended the music icon, calling him “a self-made entrepreneur, loving father, and proven philanthropist who has spent decades building an empire and supporting the Black community.”
While acknowledging his imperfections, they emphasized that Combs is not a criminal, pointing out his cooperation with the investigation, including his voluntary move to New York in anticipation of the indictment.
“These are the actions of an innocent man with nothing to hide,” his attorneys said, adding that Combs is looking forward to clearing his name in court.
Combs’ federal case had been building for months, ever since the raid on his homes.
Prosecutors have been actively sending subpoenas to witnesses as they assembled their case.
Anticipating potential legal trouble, Combs had recently relocated to New York, spending days at the Park Hyatt New York hotel while awaiting updates.
His recent appearance in Harlem, where he grew up, caught attention on social media.
#AtasKids👨👧👦 #Diddy heads back to Harlem with his tribe over the weekend pic.twitter.com/ojZrAtLctA
— All Tea All Shade (@TeaTimeTips2) September 17, 2024
As this high-stakes legal drama unfolds, the world will be watching to see what comes next for one of hip-hop’s most influential and disgraced figures.
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Source: NYTimes
