Sean “Diddy” Combs Faces Federal Charges Including Sex Trafficking and Racketeering
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently facing a series of serious federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and related offenses. These charges stem from allegations that Combs led a criminal enterprise that exploited his entertainment businesses to facilitate and conceal various criminal activities.
Charges Detailed in the Indictment
The federal indictment against Combs outlines multiple charges:
- Racketeering Conspiracy: Prosecutors allege that Combs led a criminal enterprise, referred to as the “Combs Enterprise,” which engaged in a pattern of illegal activities, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
- Sex Trafficking and Related Offenses: The indictment accuses Combs of orchestrating events where women were coerced into sexual acts, often involving drugs and threats. These events, sometimes referred to as “Freak Offs,” allegedly took place over several years.
- Additional Charges: In April 2025, a superseding indictment added new counts, expanding the timeline of the alleged crimes and potentially increasing the severity of the penalties if convicted.
Potential Penalties
If convicted on all counts, Combs could face a life sentence in federal prison. The severity of the charges, combined with the alleged duration and scope of the criminal activities, contribute to the potential for such a significant penalty.
Legal Proceedings and Current Status
Combs was arrested in September 2024 and has been denied bail, remaining in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His legal team has been actively preparing for the trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025. Jury selection commenced on April 28, 2025, with efforts focused on ensuring impartiality amid extensive media coverage.
A notable development in the pre-trial proceedings includes a judge’s decision to allow jurors to view video footage from 2016, allegedly showing Combs assaulting singer Cassie Ventura. This footage is considered by prosecutors to be relevant to the case, despite objections from Combs’ defense team.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that any sexual activities were consensual. His defense strategy includes challenging the credibility of the allegations and the admissibility of certain evidence.
The trial is expected to last several weeks, with significant public and media attention anticipated throughout the proceedings.
Matthew Galluzzo is a former Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor and an experienced federal criminal defense attorney. He has earned acquittals for clients in federal and state sex crimes trials and has commented frequently on television, news and podcasts about the Sean “Diddy” Combs case.