NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested late Monday in New York, the place he faces a sealed prison indictment, prosecutors introduced late Monday.
Particulars of the costs weren’t instantly introduced by prosecutors, however the hip-hop mogul has confronted a stream of allegations by girls in latest months who accused him of sexual assault.
The U.S. legal professional in Manhattan, Damian Williams, mentioned in a press release that federal brokers arrested Combs. “We count on to maneuver to unseal the indictment within the morning and can have extra to say at the moment.”
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, issued a press release saying: “We’re dissatisfied with the choice to pursue what we consider is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace.”
He added that Combs had gone to New York final week in anticipation of the costs being introduced.
“He’s an imperfect individual, however he’s not a prison,” Agnifilo mentioned.
Combs was arrested in a Manhattan resort foyer and is in federal custody, mentioned an individual accustomed to the arrest who spoke with The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly.
The prison prices are a significant however not sudden takedown of one of the vital distinguished producers and most well-known names within the historical past of hip-hop.
The federal investigation of the 58-year-old Combs was revealed when Homeland Safety Investigations brokers served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25.
His protection legal professional Aaron Dyer the day after the raids referred to as them “a gross use of military-level power,” mentioned the allegations have been “meritless,” and mentioned Combs was “harmless and can proceed to combat” to clear his title.
Combs, then generally known as Puff Daddy, was on the heart of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the Nineties because the accomplice and producer of the Infamous B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997. However like lots of those that survived the period, his public picture had softened with age right into a genteel host of events in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his youngsters, a few of whom misplaced their mom in 2018.
However a special picture started rising in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, grew to become the primary of a number of folks to sue him for sexual abuse with tales of a gradual stream of intercourse staff in drug-fueled settings the place a few of these concerned have been coerced or cajoled into intercourse.
In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, together with beatings and rape. Her go well with additionally alleged Combs engaged in intercourse trafficking by “requiring her to interact in compelled sexual acts in a number of jurisdictions” and by participating in “harboring and transportation of Plaintiff for functions of intercourse induced by power, fraud, or coercion.”
It additionally mentioned he compelled her to assist him visitors male intercourse staff Combs would power Cassie to have intercourse with whereas he filmed.
The go well with was settled settled the next day, however its reverberations would final far longer. Combs misplaced lingering allies, supporters and people reserving judgment when CNN in Could aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the ground in a resort hallway.
The next day, in his first actual acknowledgement of wrongdoing for the reason that stream of allegations started, Combs posted a social media video apologizing, saying “I used to be disgusted after I did it” and “I’m disgusted now.” Cassie’s lawsuit was adopted by no less than a half-dozen others within the ensuing months.
In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have intercourse with them.
One other of Combs’ accusers was a lady who mentioned the rap producer raped her 20 years in the past when she was 17.
One other girl who filed a lawsuit, April Lampos, mentioned she was a school scholar in 1994 when she met Combs and a collection of “terrifying sexual encounters” with Combs and people round him started that lasted for years.
Combs and his attorneys denied almost the entire lawsuits’ allegations.
Whereas authorities didn’t publicly say that the lawsuits set off the prison investigation, Dyer mentioned when the warrants have been served that the case was based mostly on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
The AP doesn’t usually title individuals who say they’ve been sexually abused until they arrive ahead publicly as Cassie and Lampros did.
Because the founding father of Unhealthy Boy Data, Combs grew to become one of the vital influential hip-hop producers and executives of the previous three many years Together with the Infamous B.I.G. he labored with a slew of top-tier artists together with Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Religion Evans and 112.
Combs’ roles in his companies past music — together with profitable private-label spirits, a media firm and the Sean John Style line — took main hits when the allegations arose.
The implications have been even higher when the leaked beating video emerged. Howard College reduce ties with him, and he returned his key to town of New York on the request of the mayor.
Dalton reported from Los Angeles.
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