Posted on: September 17, 2024 02:00 PM

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Sean Combs charged in Manhattan federal court with sex trafficking and other federal offenses

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William S. Walker, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced that SEAN COMBS, a/k/a “Puff Daddy,” a/k/a “P. Diddy,” a/k/a “PD,” a/k/a “Love,” was arrested this morning and charged in a three count Indictment with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.  The Indictment unsealed today alleges that between 2008 and the present, COMBS abused, threatened, and coerced women and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes.  COMBS is expected to be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky. 

HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said: “Today, we shatter any false notion of impunity as we uncover the defendant's alleged pattern of manipulation, exploitation, and outright abuse.  Make no mistake: we are here today only because of the unwavering strength of victims and witnesses who have already endured unspeakable hardships.  I commend them for their courage and urge anyone who believes they are a victim of sex trafficking to contact HSI by email at Sextrafficking_outreach@hsi.dhs.gov, or via our mobile tip-line: 1-877-4-HSITIP.”

From at least 2008 through the present, COMBS led a criminal enterprise that existed to facilitate his abuse and exploitation of women, to protect his reputation, and to conceal his conduct.  As part of that criminal enterprise, COMBS, along with other members and associates of the enterprise, committed crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice. 

Among other things, COMBS’ sexual abuse of women included causing them to engage in frequent, days-long sexual activity with male commercial sex workers, some of whom were transported over state lines.  These events, which COMBS referred to as “Freak Offs,” were elaborate sex performances that COMBS arranged, directed, and often electronically recorded.  To ensure participation in Freak Offs, COMBS used violence and intimidation, and leveraged his power over victims—power he obtained through obtaining and distributing narcotics to them, exploiting his financial support to them and threatening to cut off the same, and controlling their careers.  COMBS also threatened his victims, including by threatening to expose the embarrassing and sensitive recordings he made of Freak Offs if the women did not comply with his demands.   

COMBS’ efforts to control women included repeated physical abuse.  COMBS assaulted women by, among other things, striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them.  COMBS similarly assaulted witnesses to his abuse.  These assaults often resulted in injuries to the victims, which took days or weeks to heal. 

To commit these crimes, COMBS relied on his power as the leader of a multi-faceted business empire.  Employees of COMBS businesses—including high ranking supervisors, security staff, personal assistants, and household staff—acted as COMBS’ intermediaries to, among other things, arrange travel and hotel rooms; stock the hotel rooms for COMBS’ commercial sex activity; contact or locate women and other individuals whom he targeted for abuse; and conceal and cover up the abuse.  This criminal concealment included efforts to prevent law enforcement from learning about his abuse.

COMBS, 54, of Miami, Florida, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 

(From the US Attorney's Office)