Diddy planning to ‘blackmail victim into silence or…’: Handwritten note seized during Fed raid in jail cell reveals plot
Prosecutors allege Sean 'Diddy' Combs attempted to blackmail witnesses and influence testimony in his sex trafficking case. Seized notes from his jail cell suggest he used covert methods for communication. His defense attorney argues this violates constitutional rights .
Sean 'Diddy' Combs News: In a dramatic development in the high-profile case of Sean “Diddy” Combs, federal authorities have alleged that the hip-hop mogul has attempted to influence witnesses and ‘blackmail’ victims in his ongoing sex trafficking and racketeering case.
Seized handwritten notes from his jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn have sparked significant legal debate.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' Handwritten Notes Seized in Jail Raid
The US Attorney's office, led by Damian Williams, revealed in a late-night November 15 filing that investigators at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) discovered the ‘handwritten notes’ of P Diddy during a coordinated national sweep of BOP facilities.
These notes, along with prison phone call recordings, allegedly show Diddy’s “relentless efforts” to manipulate witness testimony and use backdoor channels to make unauthorised calls.
“After the defendant was in custody, BOP investigators recovered the … notes from the defendant’s cell,” prosecutors stated. The confiscated materials reportedly imply attempts by Sean 'Diddy Combs to “blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or providing testimony helpful to his defence.”
Diddy's Privileged Material Sparks Legal Concerns
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' defence attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has strongly condemned the seizure, asserting that it breached Diddy's constitutional rights.
Agnifilo detailed that the notes, allegedly containing privileged communications with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' legal team regarding defence strategies and witness preparation, constitute a breach of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.
What ‘Handwritten Notes’ by Diddy Reveals
Prosecutors have used the seized notes to challenge Diddy’s ongoing attempts to secure release from jail. They argue that the defendant has engaged in conduct that obstructs justice, including influencing witnesses and engaging in activities aimed at manipulating the jury pool.
“The defendant has, among other things, orchestrated social media campaigns that are, in his own words, aimed at tainting the jury pool; made efforts to publicly leak materials he views as helpful to his case; and contacted witnesses through third parties,” the prosecutors stated on Saturday.
Evidence found in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ jail cell suggests he has influenced a witness in his New York sex trafficking and racketeering case and is trying to blackmail others, prosecutors allege. They say that he has sought to avoid federal detection by using three-way calls and other inmates’ phone access codes.
In a motion filed Friday, federal prosecutors say Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was using secretive methods to contact outsiders from jail, and evidence gathered shows “the clear inference that the defendant’s goal is to blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or provide testimony helpful to his defense. An allegation that is more often seen in mob trials or Mexican Mafia-style cases.”
These revelations come as Diddy's legal team seeks an immediate evidentiary hearing to address the possession of the seized notes. “This is a matter of grave concern... because the US Attorney, and it seems the trial prosecutors, are currently in possession of privileged materials,” Agnifilo emphasised.
Sean Diddy Combs Arrest: Background
Diddy’s legal troubles intensified after a swift settlement in a rape and abuse suit brought by ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura last year. He was arrested on September 16 in the lobby of a New York City hotel.
Facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution tied to what prosecutors describe as “drug-fuelled and videotaped ‘freak offs,’” Diddy has seen repeated failures in his attempts to secure pre-trial freedom.
Prosecutors maintain that Diddy “poses serious risks of danger and obstruction” in his case, pointing to actions that include arranging social media campaigns to sway public opinion and covertly contacting witnesses.
Even with promising to put up a bail of $50 million, promising home detention and not talk to anyone but family and his lawyers, Combs has struck out twice already in his desire for pre-trial release.
A third bond hearing is set for November 22, but today’s session could override that if Judge Subramanian decides so.
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Business NewsNewsUs NewsDiddy planning to ‘blackmail victim into silence or…’: Handwritten note seized during Fed raid in jail cell reveals plot
First Published:19 Nov 2024, 06:22 AM IST
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