Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Jail Targeted In ‘Interagency Operation’
Timeline
Federal investigators for several different agencies confirmed the operation but did not provide specific details about what was done inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which has been the target of rampant criticism from the Combs team and the location of several crimes in recent months, including a murder-for-hire plot and the stabbing deaths of two inmates.
In a letter submitted to the court Friday, Combs' attorneys requested a gag order be implemented for all federal officials involved in his case, specifically citing a New York Post article that quotes a "federal law enforcement source who is involved in the investigation" as proof the Department of Homeland Security is purposefully interfering with Combs' right to a fair trial (in October, Combs' legal team claimed DHS leaked an incriminating video of Combs to CNN, which the agency denied). A judge later called the quotes in the article “plainly improper” but rejected the gag order request.
Two of Combs’ seven children—Quincy Brown, Combs' adopted 33-year-old son, and Chance Combs, his 18-year-old daughter with Sarah Chapman—made a joint post on Instagram calling the last month "devastating" for their family and defending their father from what they called "accusations, conspiracy theories and false narratives.”
Combs returned to Instagram for the first time since his arrest in September with a post marking the second birthday of his youngest daughter, named Love Sean Combs (he’d previously deleted every post on the social media account as allegations piled up against him, but has posted a total of three times since July, each time with photos of his children).
A U.S. Appeals court referred Combs' latest request for bail to a panel of three judges, but ruled he will remain behind bars until a decision is made.
Combs appeared in court for the first time since his arrest, where a trial date of May 5 was set for him to face federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs’ team filed a memo alleging that the Department of Homeland Security leaked a surveillance video that showed him abusing his ex-girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, though prosecutors have denied the allegations and said they did not obtain that video until it was made public by CNN.
Lawyers for Combs filed paperwork asking he be allowed to await trial outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center where he resides, claiming the initial decision to deny him bail was unfairly “distorted” by the attention on the case (the initial judge, who has since been replaced, ruled Combs should stay in jail so he can’t use his money and influence to interfere in the government's case against him).
Janice Small Combs, Sean Combs' mother, said in a statement through her family's attorney she is "devastated and profoundly saddened" by the allegations against her son, adding those accusing him of misconduct are "seeking a financial gain" and likened Combs to "many individuals" who have been "wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes"—though she also said Combs “may have been not entirely truthful” when denying assault allegations raised by his ex-girlfriend Ventura.
Lawyers for Combs filed a notice asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the Southern District of New York to overturn the decision to hold him in prison while he awaits trial, a choice Judge Andrew Carter made citing concerns Combs had allegedly tampered with witnesses who had been contacted as part of the investigation against him (the request was not granted).
A documentary was released for streaming on Tubi and featured an interview with Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo—who addressed a leaked surveillance video of Combs shoving and kicking ex-girlfriend Ventura—in which he called the indictment a takedown of a “successful Black man" and said he doesn't expect Combs to accept a plea bargain.
Combs is sharing a unit with disgraced Bankman-Fried at the Metropolitan Detention Center, according to The New York Times, as the former crypto mogul serves out a 25-year sentence in prison for counts of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering linked to a scheme that lost former FTX customers, lenders and investors several billion dollars.
Combs' lawyers cited "horrific" conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York in a request for bail—which included a $50 million bond offer, GPS monitoring and strict limitations on visitors—that was denied by U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter, who said the conditions weren’t enough to ensure the safety of the community.
A federal court in Manhattan unsealed charges against Combs for racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, alleging he “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”
Combs was arrested in Manhattan after being indicted by a grand jury.
Sources told CNN federal investigators were getting close to filing charges against Combs, and that plaintiffs who had filed individual civil lawsuits against him had been interviewed as part of the case.
Federal agents raided Combs’ homes in Florida and California in relation to a federal sex trafficking investigation.
A $30 million lawsuit filed by Ventura kicked off a series of criminal complaints against Combs that have included rape, sexual assault, sex trafficking and other claims (see all of the allegations here).
Contra
Combs has denied all of the allegations against him, with his attorneys characterizing some of the lawsuits and their accusations to Forbes as money grabs, “baseless” or “sickening.” In a statement in October, Combs’ attorneys said they have “full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.”
What To Watch For
If he’ll be released on bail. Combs has been in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest, and a third attempt by his attorneys to have him await his federal trial from home is currently awaiting review. The initial bail offer included a $50 million bond, house arrest, GPS monitoring and strict limitations on visitors, but a district judge denied the request. His attorneys asked for bail again several weeks later and were again denied by an appeals court judge.
Key Background
Combs was arrested on federal charges in September and, the next day, an indictment against him was unsealed. The document alleges Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” and also accused him of using his business empire to engage in “sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.” Prosecutors allege Combs manipulated women into engaging in “extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers” in what the mogul described as “Freak Offs,” and that he and his associates drugged women to keep them “obedient and compliant.” Prosecutors accuse Combs and his associates of using bribery, threats and violence to cover up his alleged abuse, and said he would leverage the financial support he provided to coerce women, making them feel they couldn't resist his demands "without risking their financial or job security” or subjecting themselves to abuse. Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo said at the time he was "disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office."
Forbes Valuation
Sean Combs was once on the path to becoming a billionaire thanks to his extensive music career, business ventures that included the Sean John fashion and fragrance lines and founding the Revolt TV network and since unrealized plans to become a cannabis mogul. Forbes estimated Combs’ personal wealth at $740 million in 2019 (he and his team later claimed he was a billionaire, but offered no supporting evidence). Today, Forbes conservatively estimates he is worth $400 million. Combs founded his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993, which Rolling Stone has called “one of the most influential hip-hop labels of all time.” The label has signed major artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Janelle Monáe and Cassie, and has put out several of Combs' own albums, including "Press Play" and "Last Train To Paris.” Combs sold a 50% stake in Bad Boy to Warner Music Group in a reported $30 million deal in 2005. Combs has built a fortune through Bad Boy Records, several liquor brands, a fashion label and other ventures. He sold his share in the DeLeón tequila brand for $200 million earlier this year. He was ranked No. 14 on Forbes' list of the highest-paid entertainers in 2022, making an estimated $90 million that year. One of the rapper’s raided homes is located in Holmby Hills, an affluent neighborhood where Combs purchased a home for $40 million ten years ago.
Comments
Post a Comment