NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Sean “Diddy” Combs, a prominent hip-hop mogul, was arrested in New York on Monday (September 17) after being indicted by a federal grand jury. The charges remain sealed for now, but US Attorney Damian Williams confirmed Combs is in federal custody, and the indictments have been revealed as of Tuesday (September 17).
Combs has been charged with three felony counts of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The court documents allege in part that Diddy “threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires” for years and that he created a “criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in various crimes such as sex trafficking forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, arson and obstruction of justice.”
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, expressed disappointment over the prosecution, describing the charges as unjust. Agnifilo urged the public to “reserve judgment” and emphasized that Combs cooperates with authorities, calling his client “an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.”
This legal development comes after months of allegations against Combs, including a lawsuit by R&B singer Cassie, accusing him of years of abuse, sex trafficking, and coercion. While that lawsuit was settled, it led to several more, further tarnishing his public image. In a leaked video, Combs was seen physically assaulting Cassie, which led to public apologies and severed ties with business partners and institutions like Howard University.
Combs, a major figure in hip-hop, has previously faced legal trouble, including a high-profile trial in 1999 over a nightclub shooting, in which he was acquitted of all charges. However, these latest allegations mark a significant escalation in his legal battles, with the full scope of the federal charges expected to be revealed soon.
