A man previously accused of being Diddy’s "mule" has now been formally charged with felony drug possession.
On Wednesday, TMZ reported that former Syracuse University basketball player Brendan Paul, 25, had been charged with one count of felony drug possession in connection with his arrest in Miami in March. The report also touches on speculation regarding how this could affect federal investigations against Diddy.
When reached for comment by Complex, Paul’s lawyer confirmed his client’s not guilty plea.
"We entered Brendan’s plea of not guilty in Court today," Brian Bieber, attorney for Paul, said in an email. "We will be dealing with this case in the courtroom, not the court of public opinion."
The "mule" allegations stem from a lawsuit filed by Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr. In the suit, Paul's work for Diddy is alleged to have included the acquisition and distribution of "drugs and guns" for Diddy.
Diddy, who's been the subject of several lawsuits in recent months, has denied the allegations against him. In a previously released statement, his attorney, Shawn Holley, called Rod "a liar" and argued that his motivations in the case are financial.
"Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday," Holley said. "His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them."
Complex has reached out to a rep for Diddy for comment on the latest developments.
The post-lawsuits criticism of Diddy has been public and frequent as of late, including a tweaked intro lyric to Reneé Rapp and Kesha’s recent Coachella performance of "TiK ToK."
Last December, Diddy himself shared a statement to social media saying that he "will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth." One month earlier, Diddy was accused of abuse in a swiftly settled lawsuit from Cassie. The settlement, a Diddy rep later noted, was not equivalent to an "admission of wrongdoing."
