With his trial just three weeks away, attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs are considering a possible delay after the music mogul pleaded not guilty to two new charges in his federal sex trafficking case.
Combs, 55, entered his plea in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday, April 14, in response to a third superseding indictment, known as S3, which added the additional counts.
Attorney and independent writer Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press live tweeted from court and reported Combs’ attorneys floated the idea of a two-week delay. The judge told the defense to file a formal motion within 48 hours, but issued a warning.
“We are a freight train moving toward trial,” Judge Arun Subramanian said.
Related: Diddy Trading $1 Cans of Fish as ‘Currency’ in Notorious Jail
Diddy’s attorney, Mark Agnifilo, told Subramanian prosecutors failed to ask a key witness to turn over 200,000 emails and insisted the defense needs more time to go through all of those emails, according to the Associated Press.
Although prosecutors countered that Diddy’s lawyers are simply trying to stall.
As previously reported, the two new counts in S3 include sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
These latest counts bring the total number of charges against the music mogul to five. He previously pleaded not guilty to the three other charges in the case.
The mogul was arrested in September 2024, and charged in a 14-page indictment with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
A first superseding indictment was filed on Jan. 30. It didn’t include new charges, but added two alleged victims to the prostitution-related count.
A second superseding indictment followed on March 6, introducing a forced labor allegation, but again, no new charges.
Earlier this month, prosecutors said they plan to call a total of four victim-witnesses. Three of the four alleged victims want to testify anonymously out of fear that they will later be pursued by the media or face embarrassment after sharing deeply personal details about their private lives.
Combs’ trial is scheduled to begin May 12, with jury selection set for May 5.
The mogul has been jailed since September after being denied bail by three judges. He is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.
The Bad Boy Records founder has denied all of the allegations through his legal team.
Agnifilo has previously said about the mogul, “He looks forward to his day in court when it will become clear that he has never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against their will.”
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