The embattled music mogul Sean Combs was charged Tuesday with racketeering conspiracy, child sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution, according to online court records.
“For decades, Sean Combs abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” the Justice Department indictment says. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multifaceted business empire he led and controlled.”
Combs, 54, was scheduled to make his first appearance before a judge Tuesday morning, hours after he was arrested and escorted from his New York hotel. Combs' attorney, Mark Agnifilo, said they were “disappointed” with the “unfair trial,” calling Combs “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
Earlier Monday, as Combs was seen posing for photos with his children in Harlem, a grand jury indicted the hip-hop mogul. Rolling Stone I learned that several witnesses had been testifying before the grand jury all summer. If I were convicted of the most serious charge – Extortion – Combs faces 20 years to life in prison.
Combs’ arrest comes nearly six months after Homeland Security agents raided the former billionaire’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami, and nearly a year after his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault. In the months since, eight women and one man have come forward to sue Combs, with allegations ranging from sex trafficking to sexual assault.
Ventura’s 35-page lawsuit details numerous alleged acts of sexual assault. She alleges that Combs forced her to recruit male sex workers from escort services and have sex with them while he watched the highly organized encounters, which she called “perverted sexual encounters.” Ventura alleges that she was plied with copious amounts of alcohol and illegal drugs, and that if she refused, Combs beat her.
One of the incidents detailed in Ventura's dossier was corroborated by video captured by hotel surveillance cameras in 2016 and first reported by CNN. In the video, Combs is seen slamming Ventura to the ground, kicking her and dragging her after she tried to sneak out of her hotel suite following an alleged “tantrum.”
While Combs issued a public apology for the horrific video, Combs has denied any wrongdoing in other lawsuits against him. As legal pressure mounted, he stepped down as chairman of his media company Revolt TV and sold his stake in the company. More than a dozen companies have fled his e-commerce platform. In January, liquor giant Diageo shed him in a private settlement under which Combs will no longer be a co-owner of the DeLeón tequila brand or have any ties to Cîroc vodka. Once a billionaire, Combs is now a co-owner of the DeLeón tequila brand or have any ties to Cîroc vodka. Forbes His net worth is estimated to be around $400 million.
Combs' 10-bedroom, gated neo-European estate, located down the street from the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles' upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood, was listed for sale earlier this month with an asking price of $61.5 million.
This is an evolving story.
