Diddy called witnesses from prison, prosecutors say

3 days ago 8

Reuters Sean "Diddy" Combs successful  a pinstripe suit   astatine  the Met Gala, earlier  his apprehension  connected  enactment    trafficking chargesReuters

Diddy is facing some civilian and transgression lawsuits successful the US

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been breaking situation rules by contacting imaginable witnesses successful his upcoming enactment trafficking trial, prosecutors person alleged.

The euphony mogul is accused of making "relentless efforts" to "corruptly power witnesser testimony", by utilizing different inmates' telephone accounts, and utilizing three-way calls to talk to radical who are not connected his approved contacts list.

Prosecutors said a reappraisal of recorded calls besides recovered that Mr Combs instructed his household to interaction imaginable witnesses successful his case, they said successful a tribunal filing.

Mr Combs, 55, is presently successful custody successful Manhattan. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each of the charges against him and strenuously denied immoderate wrongdoing.

Best known for 1990s hits specified arsenic I'll Be Missing You and Mo' Money, Mo' Problems, the instrumentalist has been denied bail since his arrest, with aggregate judges citing a hazard that helium mightiness tamper with witnesses.

His lawyers made a renewed bid for bail past week, proposing a $50m (£39.6m) bundle that would spot Mr Combs beryllium monitored astir the timepiece by information personnel, portion nether location arrest.

Lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued it was intolerable for the instrumentalist to hole for proceedings from down bars due to the fact that of the "incredibly voluminous" magnitude of worldly to review, particularly without a laptop computer.

She besides said his mentation has been hampered by conditions astatine the jail, including predominant lockdowns and officers taking distant the pens helium uses to instrumentality notes.

Detention is stripping Mr Combs of "any existent opportunity" to beryllium acceptable for trial, violating his rights nether the US Constitution, Shapiro said.

In response, prosecutors argued that the petition for bail should beryllium denied, alleging that Mr Combs "poses superior risks of information and obstruction of these proceedings".

Reuters /Jane Rosenberg A tribunal  sketch of Sean "Diddy" Combs, from October 2024Reuters /Jane Rosenberg

The instrumentalist was antecedently denied bail astatine tribunal proceeding successful September

In tribunal documents, they accused the prima of orchestrating societal media posts successful bid to "influence a imaginable assemblage pool" astatine his trial.

Amongst those efforts, they cited an Instagram connection posted by a pistillate known lone arsenic "witness two", countering allegations made by vocalist Dawn Richard successful a civilian suit against Mr Combs.

Prosecutors alleged that her connection was drafted with Mr Combs during "multiple texts" and "multiple calls" from prison.

They further alleged determination was a "strong inference" that Mr Combs "paid witnesser two, aft she posted her statement".

A video posted by the star's 7 children connected 5 November was besides cited arsenic grounds of a "public relations strategy to power this case".

The video, which was reported by aggregate media outlets, showed the household wishing Mr Combs a blessed day during a situation telephone call.

"The suspect past monitored the analytics - i.e. assemblage engagement - and explicitly discussed with his household however to guarantee that the video had his desired effect connected imaginable assemblage members successful this case," prosecutors said.

Diddy / Instagram Sean Combs (back row, 3rd  from left) poses with his 7  children, successful  a photograph  helium  posted connected  Instagram successful  March 2023Diddy / Instagram

Sean Combs (back row, 3rd from left) poses with his 7 children, successful a photograph helium posted connected Instagram successful March 2023

Mr Combs was besides accused of utilizing the telephone accounts of astatine slightest 8 different inmates to marque calls, which is against situation regulations; and of "directing others" to orchestrate outgo for this access.

Prosecutors characterised Mr Combs arsenic moving a "relentless" strategy to "contact imaginable witnesses, including victims of his maltreatment who could supply almighty grounds against him".

'Uncanny ability'

Urging the justice to contradict Mr Combs' petition for bail, the prosecutors wrote that "no acceptable of conditions" could destruct the imaginable risks to the trial.

"The suspect has demonstrated an uncanny quality to get others to bash his bidding - employees, household members, and [prison] inmates alike," they claimed.

"There is nary crushed to judge that backstage information unit would beryllium immune."

Prosecutors besides rejected disapproval of the conditions astatine the Metropolitan Detention Center successful Brooklyn, citing an interview from the star's lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who said "food’s astir apt the roughest part" of Mr Combs' accommodation to beingness down bars.

The musician's lawyers person yet to respond to the tribunal motion. The BBC has contacted his ineligible squad for a response.

EPA Cassie and Diddy astatine  the 2017 Met GalaEPA

Cassie and Diddy successful 2017. She aboriginal accused him of maltreatment and exploitation.

Mr Combs' ineligible troubles began past November, erstwhile his ex-partner Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura filed a civilian lawsuit, alleging incidents of rape and carnal battle betwixt 2007 and 2018.

Although the lawsuit was rapidly settled retired of court, it led to a flurry of akin accusations and an probe by the US Government.

The star's properties were raided by national agents successful March, and helium was arrested successful New York successful September.

Mr Combs was charged with 3 counts of enactment trafficking and racketeering, successful a national indictment that described allegations of drug-fuelled, days-long intersexual performances dubbed arsenic "Freak Offs".

The instrumentalist is simultaneously facing much than 2 twelve civilian cases by men and women accusing him of intersexual assault, rape and intersexual exploitation.

The prima has vehemently denied each of the charges against him, and the claims successful the civilian suits, arguing that the intersexual encounters astatine the bosom of his transgression lawsuit were each consensual.

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