Hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested late Monday in Manhattan following an indictment by a federal grand jury.
Combs has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, the indictment says.
Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the South District of New York, said at a press conference that Combs would be appearing in court “later today” and that prosecutors would be asking that he be detained without bail.
Combs Indictment 24 Cr 542 by kc wildmoon on Scribd
“There is a presumption of detention in a case like this, and we think that’s warranted,” he said.
Williams reviewed the indictment, which does not name any victims or co-conspirators. It does reference a “Victim-1” in the sex trafficking count and, in the racketeering count, the 2016 video that showed him beating and kicking then girlfriend Cassie Ventura. It does not name her.
Williams said that the victim in the video was “attempting to flee” at the time.
“I want to be clear about two things. We are determined to investigate and prosecute anyone who engages in sex trafficking, no matter how famous or powerful you might be,” he said, noting that Combs had been given a key to the city a year ago.
“We are not done,” he added. “This investigation is ongoing, and I encourage anyone with information about this case to come forward and do it quickly.”
When asked if more charges were anticipated, either against Combs or others, Williams said he wasn’t “taking anything off the table.”
In a detention memo filed with the court, prosecutors said there was “no condition, or combination of conditions, that will reasaonable assure the appearance of the defendant as required.” The memo called Combs “a serious risk of flight,” “a significant risk of obstructing justice,” and “is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community.”
The document details Combs alleged use of violence, threats, and coercion, beginning at least in 2008, to wield power. The memo says that Combs and a co-conspirator kidnapped a person at gunpoint on December 22, 2011, “to facilitate breaking into and entering the residence of another,” identified as Individual-1. Prosecutors anticipate the testimony of “multiple witnesses” as well as police reports to corroborate the incident.
Sean Combs Detention Memo by kc wildmoon on Scribd
About two weeks later, the document says, the co-conspirators cut open Individual-1’s convertible and dropped a Molotov cocktail inside.
The document also details weapons found during searches of Combs’ properties and notes bribery and other conduct against potential witnesses.
Combs’ attorney, Marc Angifilo, told reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday morning that his client “came to New York to basically engage the court system and start the case, and it will start today,” NBC News reported.
“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers,” he said.
Agnifilo said Combs moved to New York’s Park Hyatt hotel two weeks ago, anticipating the charges, and had planned to surrender, WABC reported. He said he would “fight like hell to get him released” on bail “and “he should be released with all that he’s done, coming here voluntarily.”
Combs, 54, has been slapped with multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking, including one by former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, that was settled the day after it was filed, as CrimeOnline reported. While Combs has denied all the claims against him, a leaked video months later showed him beating and kicking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
After that video was released, Combs posted a somber video taking responsibility for the brutal assault and saying he was “disgusted” by his behavior.
In March, federal agents raided his homes on California and Florida in connection with an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
Then, in July, sources told news outlets that Combs was the “subject” of a grand jury investigation in New York but not a target. Other sources had already confirmed the existence of a grand jury, including federal investigators who declined further comment.
Various attorneys speaking on behalf of Combs have denied any potential charges against him. Agnifilo told The Associated Press after his client’s arrest that Combs had been “cooperating” with the investigation.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Agnifilo said, adding that Combs is an icon and a “loving family man.”
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said in a statement. “Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Most recently, Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit against Combs, alleging sexual assault and abuse.
This is a developing story. Check back for more.
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[Featured image: FILE – Sean “Diddy” Combs at a basketball game on March 12, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)]