Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in federal court Wednesday as he faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Prosecutors in the case said that their investigation into Combs is still ongoing, but when asked by Judge Arun Subramanian, said they could not say more on whether they would be filing a superseding indictment. Combs is due to appear in court next on March 17 for a status hearing.
Discovery is on track to be completed by the end of 2024. A trial date has been set for May 5, 2025.
Dressed in a tan prison uniform, Combs walked into the courtroom Wednesday and scanned the gallery. He later motioned to his sons, Christian and Justin Combs, and mouthed asking if they were OK. They both gave thumbs up.
The music mogul was arrested in September on the three charges. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Federal prosecutors allege Combs has been at the helm of a vast criminal enterprise through which he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses from at least 2008. The indictment specifically refers to a series of events called “Freak Offs,” in which commercial sex workers were allegedly brought in by Combs, who then “used force, threats of force, and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts” that were recorded and could last for days.
While awaiting trial, Combs has been imprisoned at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He has been denied bail three times and has since withdrawn his appeal for bail.
In the last decision denying bail, in late November, U.S District Judge Arun Subramanian pointed to Combs’ alleged history of violence to intimidate victims and witnesses with the help of his vast business empire, as well as evidence indicating that he’s tried to obscure communications with people he is not allowed to contact.
Part of the claims of violence in denying bail, and the charges within the indictment, stem from a 2016 video that appears to show Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel. Combs requested an evidentiary hearing on claims that the government had leaked that video to the media in order to harm his reputation, but Judge Subramanian denied the request Monday saying there was not sufficient evidence for his claims.
Prosecutors have alleged that, since being imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Combs had obtained other inmates’ phone lines in attempts to evade scrutiny and contact witnesses. They also argued that he has told family members and his lawyers to add others to three-way calls so that the communications were more difficult to trace.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
