The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to a count apiece of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, as well as one count of transportation for purposes of prostitution.
But authorities have said that Combs' arrest on Sept. 16 was only the latest step in their quest to bring the 54-year-old to justice for more than a decade's worth of alleged crimes, and that their investigation is far from over.
"Between at least 2008 and the present, Combs abused, threatened and coerced victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct," Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in detailing the charges against the rapper during a Sept. 17 press conference.
Combs stands accused, Williams said, of using a vast network of employees within his business empire and other associates to cover up crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and the obstruction of justice.
"The indictment alleges that Combs abused and exploited women and other people for years and in a variety of ways," the prosecutor continued, using "force, threats of force and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers."
Those gatherings were known in Combs' world as "freak-offs," the indictment further alleged. Sometimes they'd last for days, Williams said, and often involved Combs doling out drugs including ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to keep the victims "obedient and compliant."
Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo, calling his client "an imperfect person" but "not a criminal," said in a statement in response to the charges that they were "disappointed" by the decision to move forward with an "unjust prosecution."
Agnifilo emphasized that Combs had cooperated so far, including by traveling to New York in anticipation of being charged. "Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts," the lawyer added. "These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
So far, Combs has twice been denied bail and remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. A three-judge panel is now considering his third request for bail, according to PBS News.
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