Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appeared in court on Tuesday (Sept. 17) for three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His arraignment comes less than 24 hours after the FBI arrested him in a New York City hotel on Monday night. He has reportedly entered a not-guilty plea and has submitted a bond proposal.
CNN reports that Sean stood and gave his “not guilty” plea in “a clear voice. Additionally, he was reportedly dressed in a black T-shirt paired with gray workout pants with a black, side stripe.
As previously reported, the indictment accuses Combs of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, cause or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors cited multiple related instances between 2009 and 2018 for the trafficking and 2009 and 2024 for the position, per Forbes.
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Diddy’s Legal Team Wants Bail, But Prosecutors Are Arguing Against That In Court
Ahead of his arraignment, prosecutors revealed they had filed a letter seeking pre-trial detention for the producer. Furthermore, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, addressed concerns about Diddy’s safety while in custody. He stated that he draws no comparisons between Jeffrey Epstein’s self-harm while in custody and Diddy’s safety.
Also, ahead of the arraignment, Sean Combs offered big bucks to remain free while facing three federal charges. An excerpt from a bond proposal shows that the producer proposed a $50 million payout. The proposal stated that Combs would agree to wear a GPS monitor and limit his travel between New York City and Miami to visit his doctors, see his lawyers, and attend court.
Furthermore, his lawyers claimed that Diddy’s plane, located in Los Angeles, is in the process of being sold. Combs has also offered to surrender several passports, including his, his mother Janice’s, and four daughters, Chance, Jessie, D’Lila, and Love Combs.
Nonetheless, prosecutors have reportedly cited additional concerns beyond fleeing during the arraignment. The feds allege that Diddy has a long history of violence, witness tampering, and obstruction. CNN reports that prosecutors named the assault of Cassie in 2016 in a hotel hallway as “critical evidence” of these allegations. In addition to appearing violent, Diddy also allegedly attempted to bribe a hotel security officer for the footage, which reportedly disappeared from the hotel servers days after the incident.
Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson told the judge on Tuesday that “witnesses have universally expressed fear” of Diddy.
Furthermore, Johnson seemingly suggested that Diddy reached out to a former groupmate of Dawn Richard’s after Richard filed her lawsuit against him last week, per CNN. For context, Dawn and Kalenna Harper were briefly part of the group Diddy — Dirty Money. Harper was also the only former groupmate of Dawn’s to distance herself from the lawsuit, in which she is repeatedly mentioned. She spoke out days after Dawn’s lawsuit.
Johnson said in court that Diddy reached out to this former groupmate, presumably Harper, 58 times in four days. According to the New York Post, Diddy’s last text message to Harper came in on Sept. 14, one day after she released her neutral statement.
“While I fully respect Dawn’s right to recount her experiences, I want to emphasize that her account reflects her personal perspective and should not be interpreted as a universal truth applicable to everyone,” Harper’s statement said.
RELATED: UPDATE: Here Are More Details About Dawn Richard’s Lawsuit Against Diddy
Family Supports Sean Combs During Arraignment
According to NBC News, Diddy’s biological sons, Christian and Justin Combs, and informally adopted son, Quincy, arrived at the courthouse to support Diddy ahead of the arraignment.
This is a breaking development. Updates are pending.
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What Do You Think Roomies?
