- On Thursday, federal prosecutors unsealed an updated sex-trafficking indictment against Sean Combs.
- The indictment brings no new charges but does make reference to two additional anonymous victims.
- The feds are asking for Combs to be arraigned on the new indictment on March 17.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed a long-awaited updated sex-trafficking indictment on Thursday against Sean “Diddy” Combs — and while it makes reference to two additional anonymous female victims, there are no new charges or defendants.
The new indictment does not warrant delaying Combs’ scheduled May 5 trial date, prosecutors said, asking that he be arraigned on the new charges at his next court date, March 17.
“The latest indictment contains no new offenses,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said in an emailed response. “The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr. Combs’ former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all, but were prostitutes. Mr. Combs is as committed as ever to fighting these charges and winning at trial.”
Combs pleaded not guilty to the first indictment and says that any sexual activity with his accusers was consensual.
Prosecutors had been warning since October, just weeks after Combs’ arrest, that they may seek to re-indict the entertainment and fashion entrepreneur, signaling that they were looking at potential weapons and drug charges and possible additional victims.
The second indictment makes no new mention of weapons or drugs, and repeats almost verbatim the allegations of Combs’ original indictment from September, charging him again with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
It does allege that Combs trafficked an unnamed “Victim-2” and “Victim-3.” The original indictment had listed only “Victim-1,” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The new indictment also adds a smattering of details.
In describing the conspiracy, it now specifies an allegation that back in 2016, Combs or his associates paid a $100,000 bribe to a security employee at the InterContinental Hotel in LA. In return, the employee provided the hallway surveillance video that shows Combs kicking and dragging ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, it says. The previous indictment had just alleged that there was a bribe.
The new indictment names two additional drugs that prosecutors say the Combs conspiracy used in its trafficking scheme: a psychedelic and methamphetamine. The original charges allege he gave ecstasy. ketamine, GHB to his victims.
It also alleges that Combs’ sex trafficking conspiracy began in 2004, instead of in 2008 as alleged in the original indictment.
Prosecutors had said they recovered baggies of a pink powder they believed to be narcotics from Combs’ hotel room when he was arrested in September. The new indictment makes no mention of this seizure.
The indictment also does not charge Combs with guns and ammo prosecutors say they seized when search warrants were executed in March at Combs’ homes and a Florida airport.
Federal agents had seized three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, plus two magazines containing 29 rounds, prosecutors said. Two of the weapons were found broken down into parts in the bedroom closet of Combs’ $48.5 million Miami mansion, prosecutors alleged back in September.
Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, had suggested during bail arguments in September that the weapons belonged to his client’s security guards.
“I don’t dispute that Mr. Combs has used armed security,” Assistant US Attorney Emily A. Johnson had told the judge in response.
“But it is incredulous that armed security in a professional security company would use defaced AR-15s and store them in pieces in the defendant’s personal closet.”
This story was updated to include a statement from Combs’ defense lawyer.
