New York [US], January 31: Federal prosecutors in New York have filed a revised indictment against music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, accusing him of running a criminal enterprise involving the trafficking and exploitation of women through his business dealings.
The updated indictment, filed on Thursday, strengthens the original case but does not introduce any new charges. Expanding on the accusations from the September filing, the new document adds further details about an alleged racketeering conspiracy, including claims that Combs directed women into commercial sex acts.
While the charges remain mostly unchanged, the revised indictment specifies that three women were allegedly coerced into participating in forced sexual activities. In response, Combs’ legal team dismissed the updated filing, arguing that it lacked merit. Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, pointed out that the filing did not introduce any new criminal offenses and criticized the prosecution’s claims about two former girlfriends being coerced into prostitution.
The charges are part of an ongoing investigation into Combs’ alleged history of sexual abuse spanning decades. The initial indictment accused him of manipulating women into engaging in sexual acts with male sex workers, often crossing state and international borders. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his influence to control and exploit women while working with associates to cover up the activities.
A significant new detail in the revised indictment involves an alleged assault on Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in 2016. Prosecutors claim that Combs paid hotel security staff $100,000 to secure surveillance footage of the incident to prevent evidence from being made public. The indictment also includes allegations of Combs and his associates pressuring witnesses and victims into silence, fabricating false stories to conceal his actions.
Additional claims in the superseding indictment include a kidnapping linked to the criminal enterprise and the involvement of illegal substances such as psychedelic mushrooms and methamphetamines. Another key update in the filing is a revised timeline suggesting that Combs’ alleged criminal activities began as early as 2004, contradicting the previous claim that they started in 2008.
Combs is set to stand trial in May, and if convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges could emerge as the case develops.