Yesterday (September 16), Diddy was taken into federal custody on charges that weren’t publicly specified at the time. Now, we know: Variety reports that according to legal documents, Diddy has been charged with “racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.”
Diddy is reportedly set to appear before a judge this morning, at which point the charges will be read. TMZ notes that outside the courthouse today, Marc Agnifilo, Diddy’s attorney, said he will “fight like hell” to get Diddy released on bail. CNN also notes Agnifilo told reporters, “He’s not guilty. He’s innocent of these charges.”
Agnifilo also issued a statement following the arrest yesterday. It reads:
“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.
He is an imperfect person but is not criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”