Sean “Diddy” Combs faces an expanded federal indictment, now charged with five criminal counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking. The hip-hop mogul, aged 55, had previously entered a not guilty plea to a three-count indictment. The new charges, which include sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution, could potentially lead to a longer prison sentence if he is convicted. Both indictments pertain to three alleged victims and the trial is set for May 5 in Manhattan federal court.
Prosecutors have requested U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to arraign Combs on the new indictment on April 25. Combs’s legal team, through media representatives, stated that the allegations are not new and involve former long-term girlfriends engaged in consensual relationships. They emphasized that the relationships were based on consent and not coercion.
Accusations claim that Combs utilized his business empire to exploit women sexually between 2004 and 2024. Allegations include women participating in recorded sexual performances named “freak-offs” with male sex workers, sometimes transported across state lines. Despite the serious charges, Combs’s lawyers vehemently deny any wrongdoing on his part.
The earlier indictment focused on a single count of transportation for prostitution involving three alleged victims. The new indictment introduces separate counts related to transportation for prostitution concerning two women, identified as Victim-1 and Victim-2. Additionally, a third woman, Victim-3, is mentioned as part of Combs’s alleged racketeering conspiracy.
Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, founded Bad Boy Records and played a significant role in launching the careers of artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G., and Usher in the 1990s and 2000s. However, prosecutors claim that his success masked a darker side, citing instances such as a 2016 incident where Combs was captured on surveillance video mistreating a woman at a Los Angeles hotel.
In another incident, CNN aired surveillance footage showing Combs physically assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie. Following the broadcast, Combs apologized, with his lawyer stating that the video did not support the sex trafficking accusations, describing Combs and Ventura’s relationship as “toxic yet loving” over 11 years.
