Sean Combs' Lawyer Marc Agnifilo, speaks outside U
Sean Combs’ Lawyer Marc Agnifilo, speaks outside U.S. District Court on Tues… As well as facing time in a federal prison, self-proclaimed billionaire Combs could be looking at a serious financial hit.
UPDATED with more details from U.S. Attorney’s office & court filings: Sean “Diddy” Combs could face more than 20 years behind bars if found guilty on charges revealed in a three-count indictment unsealed early this morning.
Arrested on Monday night by federal authorities at a NYC hotel, the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper is formally charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Going back almost two decades, the charges carry sentences that vary from 15 years to life for the 54-year-old Combs.
Attorneys for Combs are pitching a $50 million bond for their client to be released from custody (read the proposal here). Fighting prosecutors wish to see any bail denied, the defense is also offering “home detention with GPS monitoring” for Combs, as well as the performer handing over his passport and restricting his travel to in and around New York City.
“For decades, SEAN COMBS, a/k/a ‘Puff Daddy,’ a/k/a ‘P. Diddy,’ a/k/a ‘Diddy,’ a/k/a ‘PD,’ a/k/a ‘Love,’ the defendant, abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” declares the just-unsealed indictment against the much-accused producer and performer.
“To do so, COMBS relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” the filing from the U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office adds.
Read the federal indictment against Sean Combs in its entirety here
The government intends to seize “any and all property, real and personal” and an unspecified “sum of money” from the alleged crimes, the indictment states. According to the indictment, the racketeering charges cover crimes that go back as far as 2008. The claims of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution start with acts committed first in 2009.
First accused of sexual assault in November by singer and former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, Combs has been the alleged perpetrator of sexual assault and other misconduct against multiple women and men. For months now, he has been the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation in New York.
While Combs has denied all accusations, he did settle with Ventura within 24 hours of the filing of her suit. Sources told Deadline at the time that Combs paid Ventura “around $30 million.” Not that the matter went away as Combs likely hoped. The performer did admit to the severity of his abuse in his relationship with Ventura after security camera footage emerged in May of him brutally assaulting her in a L.A. hotel in 2016.
As recently as last week, Dawn Richard, one of the singers from the MTV series Making the Band, Danity Kane, filed a lawsuit claiming abuse and assault by Combs. Filed Tuesday in a New York federal court, the singer alleged the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted her, deprived her of food and sleep and refused to pay her fairly over years. As has been cited in almost every one of the cases against Combs, Richard alleges that the mogul threatened to destroy her career if she did not comply with his demands and desires.
Conclusion:
Sean Combs, one of the most successful music industry moguls, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of the charges brought against him. The indictment, unsealed early this morning, alleges a pattern of abuse, exploitation, and corruption that spanned decades.
FAQs:
1. What are the charges against Sean Combs?
Racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
2. What is the possible sentence if Combs is found guilty?
Up to 20 years in prison.
3. When was Combs arrested?
Monday night by federal authorities at a NYC hotel.
4. What is the total amount of bail requested by Combs’ defense team?
$50 million.
5. What does the indictment allege about Combs’ business empire?
That it was used to further his criminal activities and protect his reputation.
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