US producer-musician Sean “Diddy” Combs poses with the International Icon award within the press room throughout the MTV Video Music Awards on the Prudential Heart in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
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ANGELA WEISS/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Sean Combs, the leisure mogul who’s been in custody since his September arrest for expenses together with intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, faces two new counts as a part of a superseding indictment filed in federal court docket on Thursday. The brand new expenses broaden the timeline of Combs’ alleged crimes and will doubtlessly lead to an extended jail sentence.
The primary new depend alleges that Combs engaged in intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud or coercion between 2021 and 2024. The second alleges that inside that very same time interval, Combs additionally transported a number of people — together with an unnamed sufferer — “on a number of events with the intent that they have interaction in prostitution.” Combs had already been indicted on counts of intercourse trafficking and transporting to interact in prostitution spanning from 2009 to 2018.
NPR reached out to Combs International and to Combs’ lead lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, and is awaiting touch upon the brand new expenses. Up to now, Combs’ representatives have denied all allegations in opposition to him; he has pleaded not responsible to 2 prior indictments.
The brand new indictment filed within the U.S. District Court docket – Southern District of New York nonetheless contains one depend of racketeering conspiracy alleging that between 2004 and 2024, Combs Enterprises — together with media, music, style and alcohol spirits corporations — functioned as a prison group that facilitated and hid Combs’ alleged crimes. These embody “a persistent and pervasive sample of abuse towards girls and different people,” together with verbal, bodily, emotional and sexual abuse that prolonged to his personal staff. The fees allege that Combs Enterprises’ actions violated U.S. racketeering legal guidelines by way of kidnapping, arson, bribery, pressured labor and extra.
Jury choice for Combs’ trial is ready to start on Could 5, with opening statements scheduled for Could 12. Along with federal expenses, Combs faces greater than two dozen civil lawsuits for sexual assault, rape, intercourse trafficking and extra.
