Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in New York following sex trafficking investigation
This story was updated to add new information.
Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested Monday in Manhattan, amid ongoing lawsuits alleging abuse and months after a pair of federal raids that targeted him as the subject of a sex trafficking investigation.
The hip-hop mogul was taken into custody "based on a sealed indictment" filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams announced on social media. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, lays out charges against Combs of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
On Tuesday afternoon, Combs pleaded not guilty to the three criminal counts. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky ruled that he will remain in custody pending trial, as prosecutors sought.
Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo confirmed the news of his client's arrest to USA TODAY in a statement, saying, "We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office."
"Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal," Agnifilo said.
"To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts," Agnifilo said. "These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
Combs' arrest follows a spate of legal woes for the Bad Boy Records founder. He faces multiple lawsuits filed in recent months claiming the music magnate raped or sexually assaulted several alleged victims over the course of decades. Combs has denied all accusations against him.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs charged with sex trafficking via 'recurrent and widely known' abuse
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sex assault by Danity Kane member, others leading up to arrest
Combs was dealt a double whammy in his ongoing litigation battles earlier this month when singer Dawn Richard and Michigan inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith pursued legal action.
Richard, formerly of the Bad Boy Records girl group Danity Kane and trio Diddy Dirty Money, sued Combs on 21 counts of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and copyright infringement in a lawsuit filed Sept. 10.
She claims the producer stole her work, withheld payment and subjected her to "inhumane" working conditions, which included assault, groping and false imprisonment, over the course of nearly a decade.
The day before Richard's lawsuit was filed, Cardello-Smith was granted $100 million in a default civil suit judgment for an alleged 1997 sexual assault, which the convict sued for in June. In response, Combs filed a pair of emergency motions on Sept. 12 to dismiss the multimillion-dollar judgment, as well as a restraining order granted in the case.
Additionally, in May, two women who claimed to have been sexually abused by Combs in the mid-'90s and early 2000s both sued the rap mogul for the alleged assaults.
Diddy arrest follows lawsuits from Cassie Ventura, 'Love Album' producer
Diddy's wave of legal trouble was spurred by a bombshell lawsuit filed by ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November. The R&B singer accused the mogul of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse, with both settling the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount the following day.
At the time, Diddy admitted to no wrongdoing, but months later, after CNN released video of the rapper striking and dragging the "Me & U" singer in 2016, he later came out and said he makes "no excuses" for his behavior.
"I'm so sorry," he said in a May Instagram video. "But I'm committed to being a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry."
Other high-profile lawsuits include one filed by "The Love Album: Off the Grid" producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr., who accused Diddy of "engaging in serious illegal activity," including sexual assault. In the February lawsuit, Jones also accused the rapper and his associates – including his 30-year-old son, Justin Dior Combs, his chief of staff and Combs Global Enterprises – of participating in "a sex-trafficking venture."
Diddy has called the producer's allegations "complete lies."
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accuser Lil Rod adds Cuba Gooding Jr. to sexual assault lawsuit
Why was Diddy arrested? Indictment follows raid in federal investigation
According to the indictment, unsealed Tuesday, federal prosecutors allege Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others" to "fulfill his sexual desires" in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse. Combs' abuse, they claim, ranged from the emotional and verbal to physical and sexual.
His "criminal enterprise" included sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, kidnapping, bribery, narcotics offenses and arson, among other crimes, prosecutors allege.
He "manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity with male commercial sex workers." To ensure their participation, Combs would distribute drugs, control their careers or leverage his money, "threatening to cut off (financial support), and using intimidation and violence."
In March, two of Combs' homes were reportedly searched by U.S. Homeland Security as part of a federal investigation.
Federal officials raided Combs' Los Angeles home March 25, according to Rolling Stone and local Los Angeles news station Fox 11. Agents also searched the "Hello Good Morning" rapper's Miami residence the same day, per reports from Rolling Stone, NBC News and The Associated Press.
When reached for comment regarding a case on Combs, a Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY at the time that "Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners."
Per NBC News, the Los Angeles Times and the AP, the searches were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation in New York. Several people have been interviewed by investigators about allegations against Combs regarding sex trafficking, sexual assault and other alleged offenses, according to NBC News and the AP.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer calls home raids 'a witch hunt'
Aaron Dyer, a corporate investigations and white-collar defense lawyer for Combs, told USA TODAY March 26 that the music mogul is innocent and criticized the federal raid of his homes.
"There was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' residences," Dyer said in a statement. "This unprecedented ambush – paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits."
Dyer added that none of the rapper's family members were arrested during the raid.
Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ventura, shared a statement March 25 after reports of the search warrant on Combs emerged.
"We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law," Wigdor said. "Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct."
Contributing: Naledi Ushe and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY; Luc Cohen and Jonathan Stempel, Reuters
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Espa?ol RAINN.org/es.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested, in custody after sex trafficking probe
