Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail after pleading not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The 54-year-old music icon faces serious charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Federal prosecutors argued successfully for his continued detention, citing him as a “serious flight risk” during the hearing. US Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky remanded Mr. Combs in custody as his defense team prepared to appeal the decision.
Prosecutors allege that since at least 2008, Mr Combs has run a “criminal enterprise” that preyed on women, using drugs and violence to coerce them into fulfilling his sexual desires. The indictment describes instances of forced sex acts, referred to as “Freak Offs,” during which victims were allegedly plied with controlled substances to ensure compliance.
US prosecutor Damian Williams revealed at a news briefing that federal agents had found firearms, ammunition, and over 1,000 bottles of lubricant during raids on Mr Combs’s properties in Miami and Los Angeles. Among the items seized were three semi-automatic rifles with defaced serial numbers and a drum magazine, which could lead to further charges.
If convicted on all counts, Mr Combs could face a sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison.
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo remained adamant about his client’s innocence, stating, “There’s no coercion and no crime. He’s not afraid of the charges.”
Federal prosecutors argued that Combs poses an ongoing threat to the community.
“The defendant also poses a significant risk of obstructing justice,” prosecutors said. “During the charged conduct, the defendant has attempted to bribe security staff and threatened and interfered with witnesses to his criminal conduct.”
“He has already tried to obstruct the Government’s investigation of this case, repeatedly contacting victims and witnesses and feeding them false narratives of events.”
“There are simply no conditions that would ensure that the defendant’s efforts to obstruct and tamper with witnesses will stop,” prosecutors said.
Agnifilo asked the judge to release Combs on a $50 million bail package, disputing the prosecutors’ characterization of his client as a flight risk. The lawyer said Combs arrived in New York on Sept. 5 and “came here to face it.”
Agnifilo said Combs is trying to sell his private plane. Agnifilo said he took possession of his client’s passport and those of five of his relatives.
He also argued that when Combs took two trips — to a graduation party for one of his children and a whitewater rafting trip — “we told the government where he was going.”
“Trust has to be earned and we have earned it,” he told the judge.
