CNN
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Sean “Diddy” Combs is anticipated Wednesday afternoon to enchantment a federal choose’s resolution to carry the hip-hop artist and music mogul with out bail after he pleaded not responsible in federal court docket to expenses of racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking and transportation to have interaction in prostitution Tuesday.
Till the court docket look in entrance of US District Court docket Decide Andrew Carter at 3:30 p.m. ET, Combs shall be held by himself on the Particular Housing Unit within the Metropolitan Detention Middle in Brooklyn, in line with a legislation enforcement official. Carter is anticipated to preside over Combs’ case till the tip.
On Monday night time – following a slew of sexual assault lawsuits and a federal human trafficking probe prior to now 12 months – Combs was arrested on the Park Hyatt Lodge in Manhattan and brought into custody by Homeland Safety Investigations, a supply conversant in negotiations for his give up instructed CNN.
Decide Robyn Tarnofsky dominated in a New York court docket on Tuesday that Combs will keep in custody whereas he faces expenses. He faces a sentence of as much as life in jail if convicted.
Prosecutors allege Combs, 54, created and ran a “felony enterprise” via his enterprise empire that engaged in crimes together with intercourse trafficking, pressured labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, in line with the federal indictment.
The indictment states that Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced ladies and others round him to meet his sexual wishes, defend his repute, and conceal his conduct” for greater than adecade.
Particularly, the indictment accuses Combs of working with different associates and staff, alleges he hosted drug-fueled “freak offs” with victims and intercourse employees, notes situations of bodily and sexual abuse and illuminates what legislation enforcement discovered within the March raids of his properties.
In court docket, prosecutors argued the music mogul shouldn’t be launched as a result of he had beforehand reached out to witnesses and victims. In the meantime, Combs’ protection attorneys proposed to place him on dwelling detention with a $50 million bond secured by his Miami residence, in line with a bail movement Tuesday.
The choose instructed Combs there have been no situations she might discover to guarantee her that he would seem in court docket if launched. Tarnofsky stated her concern is “this can be a crime that occurs behind closed doorways, even when pretrial providers is monitoring.”
If the bail enchantment is denied, Combs shall be remanded again to the detention middle. Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo instructed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday night time that Combs will possible not take a plea deal.
“I consider he’s harmless of the fees, and he’s going to go to trial, and I consider he’s going to win,” Agnifilo stated.
Combs is a ‘serial abuser and a serial obstructor,’ prosecutors say
In court docket Tuesday, Assistant US Legal professional Emily Johnson stated Combs ought to be detained as a result of he’s a “serial abuser and a serial obstructor,” including pretrial providers additionally really useful detention.
Agnifilo asserted the case is about “one sufferer” – an argument fiercely opposed by federal prosecutors. In a rebuttal, Johnson emphasised, “This isn’t a case about one sufferer. There are a number of victims.”
Since final November, Combs has been hit with 10 lawsuits – 9 straight accusing him of sexual assault.
“Members and associates of the Combs Enterprise engaged in, and tried to have interaction in, amongst different actions, intercourse trafficking, pressured labor, interstate transportation for functions of prostitution, coercion and enticement to have interaction in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” the indictment states.
Throughout Combs’ detention listening to, federal prosecutors stated a minimum of a dozen witnesses personally noticed the music mogul’s violence towards ladies or the accidents they sustained at his arms. Prosecutors additionally famous Combs had reached out to victims and witnesses, a few of whom are fearful of him.
Agnifilo instructed CNN on Tuesday night time that he has “flown across the nation,” interviewing a “massive quantity” of males who’re alleged witnesses within the case and argued the “freak offs” — what the indictment described as “elaborate and produced” intercourse performances wherein he drugged and coerced victims into prolonged intercourse acts with male intercourse employees — had been consensual acts amongst adults.
“No person was too drunk. No person was too excessive,” he stated.
The indictment accuses Combs of years of abuse that “was, at occasions, verbal, emotional, bodily, and sexual.” Combs “engaged in a persistent and pervasive sample of abuse towards ladies and different people,” the indictment states.
Johnson instructed the choose Tuesday that the investigation uncovered proof of Combs allegedly assaulting victims by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging victims.
The bodily abuse specifically was “recurrent and broadly recognized,” the indictment states, and occurred on “quite a few” events from about 2009 and continued for years.
The intercourse trafficking cost is predicated on allegations towards a single, unnamed “Sufferer-I” from about 2009 as much as about 2018, the indictment states.
The indictment highlights a March 2016 incident, “which was captured on video and later publicly reported,” displaying Combs kicking, dragging and throwing a vase at a lady. When a lodge staffer intervened, Combs tried to bribe them for his or her silence, the indictment provides.
The small print match up with CNN’s reporting in Could of the video that confirmed Combs beating and kicking his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura at a Los Angeles lodge. She shouldn’t be named within the indictment.
In November 2023, Ventura sued Combs and accused him of rape and years of abuse. In response, an legal professional for Combs stated he “vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.” They settled the lawsuit a day after it was filed.
Legal professional Douglas Wigdor, who represents Ventura, stated in a press release Tuesday: “In response to the quite a few inquiries we’ve acquired relating to the indictment of Sean Combs, neither Ms. Ventura nor I’ve any remark.”
The explosive surveillance video contradicted Combs’ earlier feedback denying wrongdoing, and days afterward he posted an Instagram video apologizing. That video has since been deleted.
“My conduct on that video is inexcusable. I take full duty for my actions in that video,” he stated.
Combs’ legal professional argued the 2016 video shouldn’t be proof of intercourse trafficking, as prosecutors steered, however proof of Combs “having multiple girlfriend and getting caught.”
“This was only a matter of non-public embarrassment as a result of he and the individual within the video had been within the midst of a 10-year relationship that was tough at occasions, it was poisonous at occasions, nevertheless it was mutually so,” Agnifilo instructed CNN Tuesday night time.
Diddy’s legal professional pledges he received’t flee and has ‘earned’ court docket’s belief
Agnifilo requested the court docket Tuesday to permit Combs to stay out on bond previous to trial, saying he had no plans to flee and had “earned” the court’s trust.
The legal professional stated he took Combs’ and his members of the family’ passports and reported all of his home journey since he grew to become concerned within the investigation as a present to prosecutors they had been taking this severely. As well as, Combs is in therapy and remedy, which Agnifilo argued was a cause for launch.
Agnifilo stated he knew the music mogul was going to formally face expenses on March 25, when the Homeland Safety Investigations company led dramatic searches of his Los Angeles and Miami properties.
Regulation enforcement seized weapons, ammo, medication and an enormous assortment of child oil and lubricant throughout the searches, in line with the indictment. The indictment accuses Combs of brandishing firearms “to intimidate and threaten others.”
By September, Agnifilo stated he realized an indictment was “coming down in a matter of weeks, perhaps months,” so he urged Combs to fly to New York. Agnifilo stated he known as federal prosecutors and stated his shopper was prepared to give up.
When requested how Combs’ protection group would guarantee the court docket he wouldn’t pose a flight danger or talk with witnesses, as prosecutors argued Tuesday, Agnifilo stated: “A very powerful factor, much more than the passport, is that Mr. Combs got here to New York on September 5.”
Agnifilo stated he’ll argue the identical factors once more Wednesday, and “we’ll make it as a lot as we are able to till we get him out.”