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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

U.S.

Officials accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of witness tampering after searching jail cell

Nov 19, 2024

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

Disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is attempting, from his jail cell, to tamper with witnesses in his upcoming sex trafficking and racketeering trial, according to prosecutors. Combs has been indicted on charges of coercion and sexual abuse of victims and using blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and beatings, to silence them.

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Following a search of Combs’ cell, prosecutors accuse him of attempting to contact witnesses through third parties. A review of recorded calls reveals that he instructed family members to reach out to potential witnesses in his case.

Combs is also accused of using other inmates’ phone accounts to make phone calls, which violates prison rules.

Prosecutors also allege that Combs used his children to stage a social media campaign on his 55th birthday, Nov. 4, to taint the jury pool.

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The video shows his children celebrating their father’s birthday with a cake and singing “Happy Birthday” to him over the phone from where he’s currently incarcerated at a Manhattan prison. The video’s caption reads, “Happy Birthday Pops, we love you!”

Prosecutors say Combs specifically discussed the video with his kids, and each of them posted it to their social media accounts.

Combs’ lawyers filed a motion Monday, Nov. 18, arguing that federal agents wrongly confiscated “privileged” items. They called it “outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation.”

In response, prosecutors issued a letter explaining that the search of Combs’ cell wasn’t related to his prosecution, but that it was part of a sweep that had been planned prior to his arrest.

Combs has been behind bars since September and has repeatedly been denied bail. Prosecutors argue that he is a flight risk, given the resources at his disposal, and that he poses a significant danger to the community.

Combs has pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges and is currently seeking to be freed on bail — a $50 million house arrest package.

The trial is scheduled to begin in May 2025.

Tags: Diddy, New York City, Sean Combs

DISGRACED MUSIC MOGUL SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS IS ATTEMPTING FROM HIS JAIL CELL TO TAMPER WITH WITNESSES IN HIS UPCOMING SEX TRAFFICKING AND RACKETEERING TRIAL, ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS.

COMBS HAS BEEN INDICTED ON CHARGES OF COERCION AND SEXUAL ABUSE OF VICTIMS AND USING BLACKMAIL AND VIOLENCE, SUCH AS KIDNAPPING, ARSON, AND BEATINGS TO SILENCE VICTIMS.

FOLLOWING A SEARCH OF COMBS’ CELL, PROSECUTORS ACCUSE COMBS OF ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT WITNESSES THROUGH THIRD PARTIES AND THAT A REVIEW OF RECORDED CALLS REVEAL HE INSTRUCTED FAMILY MEMBERS TO REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL WITNESSES IN HIS CASE.

COMBS IS ALSO ACCUSED OF USING OTHER INMATES’ PHONE ACCOUNTS TO MAKE PHONE CALLS WHICH GOES AGAINST PRISON RULES.

PROSECUTORS ALSO SAY COMBS USED HIS CHILDREN TO STAGE A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN ON HIS 55TH BIRTHDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, TO TAINT THE JURY POOL.

THE VIDEO SHOWS HIS CHILDREN CELEBRATING THEIR FATHER’S BIRTHDAY WITH A CAKE AND SINGING “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” TO HIM ON THE PHONE FROM WHERE HE’S CURRENTLY LOCKED UP IN A MANHATTAN PRISON. THE VIDEO’S CAPTION READS “HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS, WE LOVE YOU!”

PROSECUTORS SAY COMBS SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED THE VIDEO WITH HIS KIDS AND EACH OF THEM POSTED THE VIDEO TO THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.

COMBS’ LAWYERS FILED A MOTION MONDAY ARGUING THAT FEDERAL AGENTS WRONGLY CONFISCATED “PRIVILEGED” ITEMS.

HIS LAWYERS CALLED IT “OUTRAGEOUS GOVERNMENT CONDUCT AMOUNTING TO A SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS VIOLATION.”

COMBS HAS BEEN BEHIND BARS SINCE SEPTEMBER AND HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN DENIED BAIL.

PROSECUTORS ARGUE HE’S A FLIGHT RISK WITH ALL THE RESOURCES AT HIS DISPOSAL AND THAT HE POSES A SIGNIFICANT DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY.

COMBS HAS PLEADED “NOT GUILTY” TOO ALL THE CHARGES AND IS CURRENTLY SEEKING TO BE FREED ON BAIL – ONCE AGAIN – ON A $50-MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE ARREST PACKAGE.

THE TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN MAY 2025.

Officials accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of witness tampering after searching jail cell

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