Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail Tuesday on charges he led a depraved criminal empire in which he threatened women and forced them to take part in drugged-up sex shows for over a decade — with prosecutors dubbing him “a serial abuser and a serial obstructor.”
Combs, 54, did not visibly react as Manhattan federal Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky remanded him into custody following a nearly two-hour long hearing, where he sat without handcuffs at the defense table, wearing a black t-shirt and dark gray sweatpants and occasionally taking swigs from a Fiji water bottle.
Tarnofsky sided with federal prosecutors, who argued the music mogul should be jailed because he’s an “extreme danger to the community.”
“Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor,” said prosecutor Emily Johnson.
The Bad Boy Records founder has an “extensive and exhaustive history of obstructing justice,” Johnson added, bringing up claims that the rapper tried to bribe a hotel security officer to cover up the March 5, 2016 assault of his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
It came after Combs, who was arrested Monday at a New York City hotel, pleaded not-guilty to the charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and transportation for the purposes of prostitution.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years behind bars and up to life imprisonment if convicted on the sex-trafficking charge alone, and up to life behind bars.
Combs is accused of forcing women into “Freak Offs” with male prostitutes while he masturbated and recorded the sometimes days-long sex sessions.
Prosecutors detailed how Combs has allegedly tried to obstruct justice on multiple occasions by trying to persuade witnesses to lie to protect his reputation.
For instance, Johnson said that Combs allegedly tried to destroy the surveillance video showing him beating Ventura — which eventually emerged earlier this year making headlines.
And just as recently as last week, Johnson said that Combs texted former Diddy-Dirty Money singer Kalenna Harper 58 times after she was named in a lawsuit against him brought by Dawn Richard.
Harper on Friday then issued a statement claiming she hadn’t seen the rapper abuse anyone.
Combs “has an ongoing ability to keep witnesses…in his pocket and at his disposal,” Johnson argued.
Law enforcement agents found bags of pink powder in his hotel room when they arrested him, Johnson said.
Investigators were waiting for the test results on the substance but Johnson told the judge they resembled bags of pink powder previously identified as ecstasy.
Here’s what we know about the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo — who notably represented since-convicted NXIVM sex-cult leader Keith Raniere — asked the judge to release his client on $50 million bond to home detention with electronic monitoring.
He argued that Combs flew from his Miami home to the Big Apple on Sept. 5 planning to “turn himself in.”
The attorney also claimed that the sex acts described in the indictment involved consenting people and were “part of the way these two adults wanted to be intimate.”
“Does everyone have to experience being intimate this way? No. Is it sex trafficking? No,” he said.
“We are all better off if the federal government does not come into people’s bedrooms,” Agnifilo said.
Agnifilo also attempted to pass blame onto “Victim-1” — a clear reference to Ventura.
He said Combs and Ventura “were in love” and had been together for ten years but noted they both cheated on each other.
The lawyer added that the caught-on-camera hotel fight broke out after Ventura allegedly saw on Combs’ phone evidence of his cheating.
So Ventura hit Combs over the head with his own cell phone, sparking the fight, Agnifilo alleged.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the three-count indictment and he faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Agnifilo maintained to reporters after the hearing that his client was innocent.
“Mr. Combs is a fighter. He’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent,” Agnifilo said outside of court.
“He came to New York to establish his innocence. He’s not afraid, he’s not afraid of the charges. There’s nothing that the government said in their presentation today that chances anyone’s mind about anything.
He said he would be arguing against the decision to hold Combs without bail during a hearing Wednesday afternoon.
Combs is due back in court on Sept. 24.
— Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer
