Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a slew of horrific new allegations in a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday that paint the picture of a deeply manipulative predator who turned his “multi-faceted business empire” into a “criminal enterprise.”
Combs was taken into federal custody in Manhattan on Monday following a grand jury indictment, which consists of three counts: Racketeering Conspiracy, Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and Transportation to Engage in Prostitution.
Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, summed up the charges during a press conference on Tuesday in which he said Combs “used the business empire he controlled to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, arson, kidnapping, bribery, and the obstruction of justice.”
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“I can’t tell you why it took so long and I think the better focus is on why we are here today,” the prosecutor told press on Tuesday, warning that additional charges are possible: “I’m not taking anything off the table.”
“A year ago, Sean Combs stood in Times Square and was handed a key to New York City. Today, he’s been indicted and will face justice in the Southern District of New York,” Williams concluded, “And we’re not done.”
Here are the most shocking details behind those charges.
The “Freak Offs”
According to the indictment, Combs “transported, and caused to be transported, commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally” to engage in days-long “Freak Offs.” The document describes “Freak Offs” as, “Elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded.” These sex performances were apparently so physically draining that “Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.”
Victims and employees were forced to participate through extreme coercion, the indictment also notes, including “physical, emotional, and verbal abuse.” It also alleges that “victims believed they could not refuse Combs’ demands without risking their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse.”
Combs would use the recordings from the “Freak Offs” as “collateral” against victims, Williams said Tuesday. Supplies for these “performances” were found during the raids on his homes, including “narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.”
Combs allegedly “recruited” and “advertised” to attract sex trafficking victims
The indictment alleges that, “From at least in or about 2009,” both in New York and elsewhere, the former mogul “recruited, enticed, harbored, transported,” victims into trafficking, through “force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion.” Williams added during Tuesday’s press conference that “Combs carried or brandished firearms to intimidate and threaten victims and witnesses.”
He also allegedly used kidnapping or arson to get his way
The indictment states that, “When employees, witnesses to his abuse, or others threatened Combs’ authority or reputation, Combs and members and associates of [Combs] Enterprises engaged in acts of violence, threats of violence, threats of financial and reputational harm, and verbal abuse,” including “kidnapping and arson.” Williams added during his press conference that authorities have no other details regarding the arson accusations other than what’s outlined in the indictment, which isn’t much. Cassie’s lawsuit provided at least one example, when she alleged that rapper Kid Cudi’s car “exploded up in his driveway” in her now settled lawsuit, following threats from Combs over jealousy that she and Cudi had dated.
Combs allegedly “bribed” a hotel worker who tried to stop him from assaulting girlfriend Cassie
The indictment alleges that a hotel worker tried to intervene in March 2016, when Combs was physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie, as was captured on video and later reported by CNN. According to the document, when he was confronted, Combs “bribed” the worker to “ensure silence.”
Prosecutors are asking the judge not to release Combs on bail, calling him a “significant” flight risk
In a Tuesday letter to Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky, U.S. Attorney Williams petitioned to keep Combs behind bars ahead of his trial with no bail. “As reflected by the gravity of the charges in the Indictment, the defendant is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community. If released, he remains a serious risk of flight, despite the conditions offered by his counsel,” the letter states. “Most glaringly, the defendant also poses a significant risk of obstructing justice.”
“In sum,” Williams writes, “the defendant’s long history of violent conduct makes clear that even the most stringent bail conditions will not suffice to ensure the safety of the community.”
“The crimes that the defendant is charged with carry significant penalties, including a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” the letter adds later. “The defendant’s incentive to flee, outlined above, coupled with the defendant’s seemingly limitless resources create significant risk of non-appearance. The defendant’s net worth is publicly estimated at being close to $1 billion. Indeed, the investigation of this case has revealed that the defendant has access to vast funds and resources—including deep reserves of cash—which would facilitate his evasion of prosecution.”
