Sean “Diddy” Combs has been indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The indictment against the music mogul was unsealed Tuesday.
Combs, 54, was arrested late Monday night after a grand jury indictment. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the indictment detailing the charges would be unsealed Tuesday.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, spoke to media outside of Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, telling the crowd, “He came to New York to basically engage the court system and start the case, and it will start today and he’s going to plead not guilty. He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers.”
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The music and business mogul’s arrest comes nearly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Combs has also been the subject of 10 civil lawsuits concerning sexual abuse, misconduct, and sex trafficking.
The charges against Combs were unclear upon news of his arrest Monday night, although The New York Times reported that a “person familiar with the prosecution said they believed Mr. Combs was being charged with racketeering and sex trafficking.”
“Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY [Southern District of New York],” Williams said in a statement Monday night. “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”
A lawyer for Combs, who has also gone by “Puffy” and “Puff Daddy” professionally, said that he was “disappointed” in federal authorities for what he called an “unjust prosecution” of Combs.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement emailed to Newsweek. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” he added. “To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Combs’ eyebrow-raising legal troubles began in November when he and his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, quikclky settled a lawsuit in which she alleged sexual and physical abuse.
In May, CNN released elevator security footage of Combs physically assaulting Cassie in a hotel in 2016.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” Combs said in a video statement in May, nearly eight years after the incident.
“I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he added. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
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