Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleaded not guilty after he was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Combs has faced several lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct in the past year. He has denied any wrongdoing.
, who was arrested last night at a hotel in New York City, has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.Prosecutors accused Combs of witness tampering, saying at a hearing today that the rap mogul’s employees tried to ensure his ex-girlfriend and hotel employees wouldn’t say anything about a beating at a Los Angeles hotel eight years ago.
“This is evidence, not of sex trafficking, but of being caught being unfaithful," defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo told the court in arguing for his client to be granted bail."He was in a 10-year loving relationship through dark periods.” "He’s not afraid. He’s not afraid of the charges," Agnifilo said."There’s nothing that the government said in their presentation today that changes anyone’s mind about anything.”Sean Combs' defense lawyer said his client was prepared to surrender to authorities before he was taken into custody last night.
The government argued detention is warranted because of the serious charges Combs faces. The prosecution said Combs is an extreme danger to the community and a flight risk because of his wealth.A judge denied bail for Sean"Diddy" Combs after the music mogul pleaded not guilty to three federal charges connected to alleged sex abuse.Sean “Diddy” Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution transportation.
Combs, in that call,"attempted to convince the victim that she had willingly engaged in acts constituting sexual abuse," prosecutors continued. While U.S. Attorney Damian Williams declined to elaborate on specifics of the the alleged arson, the act might be detailed in the prosecution's request for Combs to be held without bail.
The music mogul has a long history of seeking to bribe and illegally influence witnesses, federal prosecutors said in a 16-page letter to the court asking for Combs to be remanded into custody until trial. "Combs allegedly planned and controlled the sex performances, which he called 'freak offs' and he often electronically recorded them," Williams told reporters.
"A year ago, Sean Combs stood in Times Square and was handed a key to New York City," Williams told reporters today."Today, he's been indicted and will face justice in the Southern District of New York." In court papers made public today, government officials revealed that they took supplies Combs allegedly used in"Freak Off" sexual assaults.At the height of his power, Combs was more than just a musician: He controlled a vast business empire — including record labels and alcohol and clothing brands — that made him a billionaire.
The court document did not specifically list any assets or amount of money it would be seeking to take from Combs.Victims were filled with drugs to control them for long stretches of time, authorities said, with participants “typically” having to get “IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion.”
Combs created"a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in" various crimes, such as"sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice," court documents said.He's been accused of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
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