By Ben Sisario and Julia Jacobs
Sean Combs, the troubled music magnate, was denied bail earlier this week after entering a not guilty plea to accusations of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution.
In a federal indictment revealed on Tuesday, Combs, 54, was characterized as the leader of a long-term criminal operation that threatened and exploited women, compelling them to take part against their will in drug-infused orgies with male prostitutes while using threats of violence or withdrawal of financial support to ensure compliance.
The 14-page indictment against Combs, a producer, record executive, and entertainer known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, was filed a day after his arrest in a Manhattan hotel room, stemming from an inquiry that has been ongoing since at least early this year. Prosecutors alleged that Combs and his staff engaged in kidnapping, forced labor, arson, and bribery, while maintaining access to firearms.
In a motion to the magistrate opposing Combs’ bail release request, prosecutors contended he posed a danger to the community. One prosecutor, Emily A. Johnson, labeled him a “serial abuser and a serial obstructer,” asserting that his affluence would facilitate his escape. She remarked that law enforcement discovered what they believed to be narcotics—specifically pink powder—in Combs’ hotel accommodations post-arrest.
Combs’ legal team proposed a $50 million bond. However, Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky rejected their proposal, referencing Combs’ issues with anger and a history of substance misuse, consequently ordering him detained pending trial.
“My concern,” the judge explained, “is that this is a crime that transpires behind closed doors.”
As Combs exited the courtroom, he glanced at his supporters, which included his three adult sons, placing his hand over his heart.
After the hearing, Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs’ attorneys, announced intentions to appeal the bail denial, adding, “We support him completely.”
During the proceedings, Agnifilo began constructing a defense for Combs against the indictment, claiming that the sex trafficking allegation involving Combs’ previous girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, stemmed from consensual relations over a decade-long relationship.
“They are intruding into this man’s private life,” Agnifilo stated concerning the government’s case.
The racketeering charge carries a potential life sentence, while a conviction for sex trafficking carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years.
The allegations starkly contrast with Combs’ established public persona. He played a pivotal role in the globalization of hip-hop as a commercial powerhouse, producing landmark tracks for artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige, and building a business empire anchored by his charismatic, street-wise image. This included the Sean John clothing line and a lucrative partnership with liquor titan Diageo, which netted him over $1 billion over the years.
Despite being shadowed by allegations of violence for years, he largely avoided consequences until a wave of lawsuits last year accused him of sexual assault and related misconduct. His business empire began to falter as a federal investigation intensified.
The indictment, filed last week but unsealed on Tuesday, features explicit accounts of what it claims Combs termed “freak offs”: “well-coordinated sexual activity performances” in hotels and various sites, commonly enhanced by drugs and extending over extended periods. At these gatherings, the government asserts that women were drugged to ensure they remained “obedient” and pressured into engaging in sex with prostitutes.
Those coerced into participating in the orgies “usually required IV fluids to recuperate from the physical strain and substance use,” as per the indictment.
Combs reportedly observed these events, occasionally while engaging in masturbation and filming video. The government alleged that Combs “utilized the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings made during Freak Offs as leverage to secure the ongoing compliance and silence of the victims.”
Prosecutors indicated that women believed they could not deny his requests without facing physical or emotional abuse, or risking their economic or job stability. They claimed that Combs exercised control over women by monitoring their locations, dictating their appearances, overseeing their medical details, and providing them with drugs.
No victims are named within the indictment, and the government’s sex trafficking count only refers to an anonymous “Victim 1.”
However, the accounts of the incidents align closely with allegations made last year by Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend and an artist signed to his Bad Boy record label, under the moniker Cassie.
Ventura settled her lawsuit, filed in November, after merely one day, with Combs refuting any wrongdoing. Yet, the indictment outlines orgies in a manner akin to Ventura’s allegations, stating that they involved excessive amounts of drugs and other paraphernalia.
In arguing against bail for Combs, prosecutors accused him of obstructing justice following Ventura’s lawsuit. They indicated in court documents that he and his associates contacted potential victims and witnesses to “feed” them “false narratives,” including multiple calls made to an individual described as a victim of his sexual abuse.
“During these calls, the defendant consistently sought the victim’s support and ‘friendship,’ attempting to persuade the victim that she willingly participated in acts that constituted sexual abuse,” prosecutors noted in court submissions.
When federal agents executed searches at Combs’ residences in Los Angeles and Miami Beach in March, the indictment mentioned that “law enforcement seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.” In Miami Beach, agents uncovered nine AR-15-style firearms—six with intact serial numbers and three altered.
Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, opted not to comment on the government’s indictment. Attorneys representing other women who have filed complaints against Combs welcomed the arrest.
“It’s a significant day for victims, but an arrest is merely the start,” remarked Lisa Bloom, whose client, singer Dawn Richard—a former member of two musical groups formed by Combs—filed suit just the previous week.
At a press conference in Manhattan following the unsealing of the indictment, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, urged anyone with further information to step forward.
“This office is committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone involved in sex trafficking,” Williams stated, “regardless of how powerful, wealthy, or famous they may be.”
