Sean 'Diddy' Combs. His lawyer says Combs is 'an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal'. Photo / Getty Images
Sean 'Diddy' Combs. His lawyer says Combs is 'an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal'. Photo / Getty Images
The music mogul was indicted by a grand jury on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for crimes as early as 2008, according to a federal document unsealed Tuesday.
Combs was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. He entered a not-guilty plea at an appearance in a Manhattan court. The US Attorney’s office has said it believes Combs is a flight risk.
Here are eight takeaways from the unsealed 14-page federal indictment, from the charges to the victims and others in the indictment, to the alleged “freak offs”, seizure of baby oil and guns, possible sentences and what happens next.
The charges, submitted by a federal grand jury, were detailed in an indictment unsealed Tuesday morning and reflect many of the allegations previously made against Combsby people who have filed lawsuits against him.
The indictment accuses Combs of orchestrating a widespread criminal conspiracy, operated through his various businesses with the aid of his employees and business associates.
The federal grand jury charged that Combs and his associates engaged “in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals” dating back at least 16 years, according to the indictment.
Combs has denied any wrongdoing. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in a statement on Monday,adding his client has been “nothing but co-operative” and “looks forward to clearing his name in court”.
Here are the main takeaways of the indictment.
The charges
The grand jury charged Combs with three counts: racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The indictment alleges that Combs ran a criminal organisation (referred to as the “Combs Enterprise” or “Enterprise” in the court filing) composed of members of Bad Boy Entertainment, the record label he founded in 1993; Combs Enterprises; and Combs Global.
On the surface, these businesses worked to expand Combs’ media, entertainment and lifestyle endeavours, but the indictment claims they also carried out a number of crimes at Combs’ bidding, including forced labour, sex trafficking, narcotics distribution, arson, kidnapping and obstruction of justice.
There is also a separate count of sex trafficking concerning one unnamed victim, whom Combs is believed to have abused, beginning around 2009 and ending in 2018.
The grand jury also charged Combs with transporting female victims and commercial sex workers across state and country lines on multiple occasions, “with the intent that they engage in prostitution”.
“The way that he operated this business is textbook,” said Shea Rhodes, director of Villanova University’s Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. “We’re talking about controlled prostitution and scaling that up to an enterprise organization that is really well-funded.”
Marc Agnifilo, attorney for Sean "Diddy" Combs, speaks to members of the media while arriving at court in New York, US, on Tuesday, September 17. Photo / Getty Images
Others in the indictment
The grand jury indictment alleges that other people, not named in the document, helped facilitate Combs’ crimes and cover them up. This includes leadership at his various companies, as well as his associates, household and security staff members and personal assistants.
According to the indictment, these associates helped Combs manipulate women to participate in “highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity,” called “freak offs.” These “freak offs” were the site of various illegal activities, the grand jury charges.
Combs and his associates coerced his victims by controlling their careers, leveraging his financial support, using intimidation and violence and monitoring their locations, the indictment claims.
The alleged ‘freak offs’
Allegations of illegal sex parties have been public since a former artist and romantic partner of Combs’ first accused him of orchestrating them in 2023. The indictment provides further details of these alleged orgies, for which Combs’ associates are accused of transporting “commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally”.
Combs and his associates are alleged to have booked hotel rooms for these encounters and stocked them in advance with narcotics, lubricant, extra linens and lighting for the purpose of recording these acts. Controlled substances distributed at these freak offs included cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine and oxycodone, the indictment alleges.
During these events, Combs allegedly “hit, kicked, threw objects at, and dragged victims, at times, by their hair,” which led to injuries that took weeks to heal, per the indictment. He is accused of coercing victims with threats of withholding financial support and derailing their careers, as well as taping these acts, allegedly using “the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings” to keep victims quiet, according to the indictment.
The indictment also alleges that Combs’s staff cleaned the hotel rooms after these sex parties to cover up damage, arranged travel for the victims, delivered large sums of cash to Combs to pay the sex workers, and scheduled the delivery of IV fluids to help victims recover from the intense drug use and physical exertion.
The victims
Two of the counts, racketeering and prostitution, suggest multiple victims were involved, though none is named.
The sole count of sex trafficking refers to one specific victim (referred to as “Victim-1″), who is also unnamed. However, the timeline appears to align with allegations filed by Combs’ former artist and romantic partner, Casandra Ventura, who goes by the stage name Cassie. Ventura, in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 16, accused Combs of physical and sexual abuse, coercion and sex trafficking throughout the duration of their relationship, which began in 2007 and ended in 2018.
Ventura and Combs settled the suit the day after it was filed. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Ventura, through her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, offered no comment on Combs’ arrest.
Combs’ cases
The indictment was released nearly one year after the first of 10 sexual assault lawsuits were filed against Combs. Accusations span his more than 30-year career as a music artist and producer. The lawsuits included accusations of sex trafficking, physical abuse and sexual assault.
Ventura filed the first lawsuit, alleging that Combs was abusive and violent in their relationship and that he engaged in sex trafficking. The lawsuit detailed an incident at a Los Angeles hotel where, she claimed, Combs attacked her.
Combs denied Ventura’s allegations until hotel footage of Combs beating Ventura, captured in 2016, was leaked to CNN in May. Two days later, he apologised on his Instagram account, saying his behaviour was “inexcusable.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” Combs said.
Video footage obtained by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Photo / via CNN video
A slew of similar lawsuits were filed against Combs in subsequent months. In March, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security raided Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami. The agency did not disclose the nature of the investigation at the time, but law enforcement officials reported to the Washington Post and other outlets that the search was tied to a sex trafficking investigation.
According to the indictment, federal officials found multiple firearms during their raids, including three AR-15s, which had their serial numbers defaced, and a drum magazine, as well as ammunition.
The indictment alleges that federal officials found “narcotics and more than 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” connected to Combs’ “freak offs.”
Possible sentences
The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum life sentence, while the sex trafficking charge has a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. The transportation for purposes of prostitution charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
“In all likelihood, if he gets convicted of anything, he is going to be spending a long time in jail,” said Camron Dowlatshahi, an entertainment law attorney.
What happens next
The Government is seeking detention for Combs because of his alleged danger to the community and the risk that he would flee, according to a detention filing by the US attorney’s office. Prosecutors asked the judge to deny Combs any bail.
Combs “poses an ongoing and significant danger to the community, has repeatedly engaged in obstructive conduct, and presents a serious risk of flight,” the filing read in part.
Attorneys for Combs have asked for his release on a $50 million bond and house arrest with GPS supervision, according to a letter submitted to the court.
Dowlatshahi, the entertainment attorney, said that defence attorneys probably will look to delay the case as much as possible. He said it’s unlikely Combs would face trial until late 2025.
