Feds Charge Diddy With Sex Trafficking and Racketeering

Sean Diddy Combs at arrivals for 37th Annual FiFi Awards, The Downtown Armory, New York, NY May 27, 2009. Photo By: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been charged with sex trafficking and other alleged crimes following his arrest in New York City.

The charges were listed in a 14-page indictment, which was unsealed on Tuesday.

The embattled music mogul faces 3 counts — racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Combs’ arrest in a statement on Monday night.

“Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time,” the statement read.

Related: Diddy Denied Bail After Pleading Not Guilty in Sex Trafficking Case

The charging documents allege that Combs “for decades … abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”

Prosecutors additionally allege that the Bad Boy Records founder ran a criminal enterprise to facilitate his alleged crimes.

“Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” the indictment says.

Combs, 54, was taken into custody at the Park Hyatt New York in Manhattan.

In a statement, the music mogul’s attorney Marc Agnifilo called the case “unjust.”

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community,” Agnifilo said.

About Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the editor and founder of Urban Hollywood 411.