Diddy Indictment: A Closer Look at the Charges Against Him
Here's a closer look at key parts of the three-count indictment, unsealed Tuesday.
Diddy, fresh off his arrest in New York at the hands of federal agents, is accused in a newly unsealed indictment of, among other things, having “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”
In a statement issued shortly after the unsealed indictment started making the usual rounds, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called on alleged abuse victims to “come forward,” noting that the larger investigation remains ongoing.
“As alleged in the indictment, for years, Sean Combs used the business empire he controlled to sexually abuse and exploit women, as well as to commit other acts of violence and obstruction of justice,” Williams said.
Shortly before his New York arrest on Monday, Diddy was seen chatting with fans. While certain details from the ensuing indictment have received special attention in headlines, particularly those of a more strictly sexual nature, there's more to the 14-page document than such coverage might suggest.
Below, we take a closer look at the three-count indictment.
Racketeering Conspiracy
Diddy is accused of heading “a criminal enterprise,” members and associates of which are said to have taken part in crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice. This alleged criminal enterprise, per prosecutors, was known by multiple entity names, Bad Boy Entertainment among them. From his position as the head of this organization, Diddy is accused of physically assaulting multiple women and manipulating them into taking part in “highly orchestrated” sex acts, including via the distribution of narcotics and intimidation.
The Combs Business, as it’s referred to in the indictment, was allegedly used by Diddy to both carry out and then cover up the crimes of which he’s been accused. Diddy and others are said to have “knowingly” conspired to violate racketeering laws. For those unfamiliar, racketeering is loosely defined as coordinated illegal goings-on that serve a larger effort aimed at making profits. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Sex Trafficking
For a period of time estimated in the indictment to have spanned from around 2009 to 2018, Diddy is accused of “knowingly” carrying out a series of actions constituting sex trafficking. Notably, he’s accused of doing so “by force, fraud, and coercion.” He’s also accused of willfully causing an unnamed victim to “engage in commercial sex acts,” with the acts in question only made possible, according to prosecutors, through this same alleged trifecta of coercion.
If convicted as charged, this particular charge carries a maximum possible sentence of life behind bars and a mandatory minimum of 15 years.
Transportation to Engage in Prostitution
This one is fairly self-explanatory. In the indictment, it’s alleged that Diddy, starting in or around 2009 and potentially leading up to as recently as this year, “knowingly” transported an unnamed individual with the intention of that person engaging in “prostitution.” Additionally, Diddy is accused of doing the same with “female victims and commercial sex workers.”
If convicted as charged, this accusation could lead to a sentence of 10 years on its own.
What has Diddy said?
As of this writing, Diddy himself has not spoken publicly about the his arrest or the indictment. After his arrest on Monday, attorney Marc Agnifilo shared a statement with multiple publications, Complex among them. The statement was issued prior to the unsealed indictment.
“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,” Agnifilo said. “Sean ‘Diddy’ 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. 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. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Speaking with reporters Tuesday morning, Agnifilo said Diddy is “dealing with this head on,” adding that he's “innocent of these charges.”
