Topline

Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs be held in jail until his trial, calling him a “dangerous” flight risk. The hip-hop artist was charged on three counts, including sex trafficking, and arrested Monday night.

Key Facts

Crucial quote

“The incentive to flee is particularly strong for this defendant, who at age 54 faces the very real prospect of spending a significant portion of the rest of his life in prison,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams wrote in his letter to the court.

What to look out for

Combs is expected to appear in court later Tuesday, where a decision will likely be made on whether he will remain in custody. It is unclear how long it will take for his criminal case to be heard, though prosecutors noted that he almost certainly will go to prison if convicted. The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges Combs faces is 15 years, prosecutors noted, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. Williams told reporters Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing and that it is still possible Combs could face additional charges.

Tangent

The letter seeking Combs’ arrest details several specific alleged acts of violence not named in the indictment, including Combs and one of his associates allegedly kidnapping an unnamed individual at gunpoint to “facilitate the breaking and entering of the residence” of another unnamed victim. One of Combs’ associates also allegedly set fire to the vehicle of the victim they were attempting to break into, which they did by cutting the top of the car and throwing a Molotov cocktail into the vehicle. “Multiple witnesses” are prepared to testify that Combs “bragged about his role in destroying” the car, the letter said. Prosecutors also noted in the letter that Combs employs people with “significant criminal histories, including violent crimes and firearms offenses.”

Chief Critic

Combs has not yet formally pleaded guilty or not guilty in the case, but has long denied the sexual assault allegations against him. “He is not guilty, he is innocent of these charges,” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters on Tuesday, arguing that Combs is in good spirits and “confident” and is tackling his prosecution “head-on.” In a statement to CNN on Monday following Combs’ arrest, Agnifilo called the allegations an “unjust prosecution” and asserted that Combs has “nothing to hide” and asked people to “suspend judgment until you have all the facts.”

Main background

Combs was arrested in New York on Monday following a months-long investigation by federal law enforcement that stemmed from civil lawsuits filed against him by women who accused him of sexual assault. The mogul’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was the first to sue him in November 2023 — the lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms a day later — and CNN reports that 10 lawsuits have now been filed against Combs. While the federal investigation reportedly began with those allegations, CNN reported in May that the probe had expanded to include organized criminal activity and sex trafficking, among other possible crimes. The indictment accuses Combs of orchestrating a criminal enterprise beginning in 2009 in which women were coerced into having sex at “Freak Offs,” during which Combs allegedly used tactics including violence, drugging and threatening the women’s financial and career stability to coerce them into participating and remaining silent. Prosecutors accuse Combs of “punching, hitting, dragging, throwing objects and kicking women,” causing injuries that took days or weeks to heal. Her associates helped facilitate the abuse and track down women if they tried to flee.

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