On Monday, September 16, news broke that Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, was arrested by federal agents in New York. Surprising? Yes and no. Diddy’s downfall has been well-documented over the last year since his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil suit suing him for sex trafficking, sexual battery, and assault in November 2023.
It was the first in a succession of dominos to fall, with more civil suits being filed, his mansions being raided, and surveillance footage being leaked that showed him violently assaulting Cassie. Diddy maintained his freedom through it all, living life and traveling as usual. For a while, it seemed like he might escape the same imprisoned fate as other powerful men accused of similar sexual crimes—until now.
In the days following Diddy’s arrest, he’s been denied bail twice by two separate federal judges despite his detailed $50 million bond proposal. He’s denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. Currently, he remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, awaiting trial.
The 14-page indictment is the most detailed account of his alleged misconduct to be made public. It reveals previously unknown information about the raids of his homes and a list of crimes longer than an NBA player’s wingspan related to his “Freak Offs.” It mirrors events named in Cassie’s lawsuit, one of which includes allegedly blowing up Kid Cudi’s car.
We’ve read the indictment, cross-referenced it with Cassie’s lawsuit, connected the dots, and broken down everything you need to know below.
Charge one: racketeering conspiracy, maximum sentence of life in prison
First, a quick overview of what racketeering actually means. Also known as an RICO, it has been used in cases against Donald Trump, Young Thug, and R. Kelly. It’s not a specific crime and is purposely broad—it means engaging in an illegal scheme.
The RICO Act describes 35 offenses ranging from kidnapping and murder to bribery, arson, and extortion. Federal criminal law professor G. Robert Blakey describes it as “a way of thinking about and prosecuting a variety of crimes.”
To convict someone of racketeering, prosecutors must prove that a criminal enterprise existed, it affected interstate commerce, the defendant was employed by the enterprise, and they engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity (two or more acts).
The criminal enterprise
In the indictment, Diddy is described as the leader and mastermind of a criminal enterprise since 2008. Essentially, prosecutors say he used his multi-faceted business empire of Bad Boy Entertainment, Ciroc, Revolt, and various other companies to create an illegal scheme.
Many of those companies he no longer owns, but former employees ranging from security and household staff to personal assistants and supervisors are considered members of the “Combs Enterprise” that helped or facilitated various crimes.
The racketeering activity
Diddy and members of the Combs Enterprise are accused of engaging in “sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion, and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
The aforementioned criminal activities were done for various purposes, including but not limited to preserving Diddy’s power and reputation, fulfilling his sexual desires, making him and those willing to conceal his crimes richer, and protecting the enterprise from law enforcement.
Charge two: sex trafficking, minimum sentence of 15 years
The common thread between each charge is Diddy’s “Freak Offs,” which are a similar ritual to the sex trafficking Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of carrying out on his island. Diddy would allegedly lure female victims and coerce them into engaging in sexual acts with male sex workers.
However, this charge is specific to an unnamed “Victim-1” from about 2009 to 2018. It’s classified as sex trafficking because “Victim-1” was transported and harbored by members of the Combs Enterprise to various states and forced or coerced to engage in commercial sex acts.
Charge three: transportation for purposes of prostitution, maximum sentence of 10 years
Similar to what’s described above, the nature of Diddy’s “Freak Offs” involved the transportation of female victims and commercial sex workers with the intent that they engage in prostitution.
How were “Freak Offs” facilitated?
The indictment describes them as “elaborate and produced sexual performances that [Diddy] arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded.” They occurred regularly and sometimes lasted for multiple days.
He allegedly ensured his victims’ participation by giving them narcotics during the “Freak Offs,” controlling their careers, leveraging his financial support and then threatening to cut it off, and using violence and intimidation.
Victims were described as feeling unable to say no to Diddy’s demands because they feared financial or career-related repercussions and abuse. He allegedly used recordings of the “Freak Offs” to blackmail his victims into silence and obedience.
What happened during the raids?
The indictment also revealed previously unknown information about the raids on Diddy’s Miami and Los Angeles homes in March. Law enforcement reportedly seized “various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
They also seized firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers, cited in a section alleging that Diddy and his associates used firearms to sometimes threaten victims and witnesses of his abuse.
Cassie’s alleged mentions in the indictment
Multiple sections in the indictment are eerily similar to Cassie’s lawsuit. There’s speculation that the “Victim-1” named in the sex trafficking charge is referring to her. Her lawsuit was the first public mention of Diddy’s “Freak Offs,” describing it similarly to the indictment and classifying it as sex trafficking.
The timeline also aligns. Her lawsuit said the “Freak Offs” began a few years into her relationship with Diddy, which lasted from 2005 to 2018. The indictment cites the years 2009 to 2018 for the sex trafficking charge.
Via New York Times article detailing the lawsuit.
In another section describing Diddy’s physical abuse, the indictment cites an incident from 2016 at a hotel in Los Angeles where he “kicked, dragged, and threw a vase at a woman as she attempted to leave.” The date and location point to the same incident that CNN published a surveillance video of back in May and Cassie detailed in her lawsuit.
Via New York Times article detailing the lawsuit.
Diddy’s alleged plot to blow up Kid Cudi’s car
Prosecutors offered more details about events named in the indictment in a 16-page letter to the Judge requesting Diddy stay in jail. Diddy and a co-conspirator allegedly once kidnapped an individual at gunpoint to break into the home of another individual (referred to as “Individual-1”). About two weeks later, in early 2012, Diddy’s co-conspirator set fire to “Individual-1’s” car.
It’s speculated that the individual in question was Kid Cudi because of a similar description in Cassie’s lawsuit. Mentioning the same dates as the prosecutors, Cassie claimed that Diddy got so angry about her dating Kid Cudi that he said he would blow up Cudi’s car. “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway,” her lawsuit recants.
A spokeswoman for Cudi confirmed to the New York Times the events of his car exploding, saying, “This is all true.”
