NEW YORK (AP) — A federal prosecutor in New York mentioned Monday that legal professionals for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs are searching for causes to delay a intercourse trafficking trial slated to begin in three weeks.
The most recent model of the indictment towards Combs, 55, added two new expenses this month however he nonetheless hadn’t entered a plea, prosecutors mentioned. That, plus attainable delays from the routine course of for sharing proof with each side, referred to as discovery, made prosecutors suppose he may be stalling for time, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Christy Slavik mentioned.
Combs has been locked up with out bail since his September arrest. He entered a not responsible plea once more at Monday’s listening to, however in any other case remained emotionless within the courtroom.
Choose Arun Subramanian instructed Combs’ legal professionals they’ve till Wednesday to request a pause within the trial to offer time for discovery.
“We are a freight train moving toward trial,” he mentioned.
Marc Agnifilo, representing Combs, mentioned the protection would possibly ask for a “very short” two-week adjournment over discovery points, together with the federal government’s failure to ask a key witness to show over 200,000 of her emails moderately than simply letting her spotlight those she thinks are vital.
The most recent model of the indictment, returned on April 4, added two new expenses and accused Combs of utilizing pressure, fraud or coercion to compel a girl to have interaction in industrial intercourse acts from a minimum of 2021 to 2024.
It additionally alleges that Combs was concerned in transporting the girl — recognized solely as “Victim-2” — and different folks, together with industrial intercourse employees, to have interaction in prostitution throughout the identical interval.
The brand new expenses bolstered an indictment already charging him with racketeering conspiracy and intercourse trafficking.
Federal prosecutors mentioned the racketeering conspiracy cost entails allegations that Combs sex-trafficked three victims and compelled a fourth, one among his workers, into sexual exercise with him.
His legal professionals responded to the newest model of the indictment by saying it added no new allegations or accusers and pertained solely to former long-term girlfriends concerned in consensual relationships.
Prosecutors say Combs coerced and abused ladies for years as he used his “power and prestige” as a music star to enlist a community of associates and workers to assist him whereas he silenced victims via blackmail and violence, together with kidnapping, arson and bodily beatings.
They are saying the Unhealthy Boy Information founder induced feminine victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male intercourse employees in occasions dubbed “Freak Offs.”
