Sean Diddy Combs was denied bail on Wednesday as he awaits his May trial on sex trafficking charges. The judge cited evidence indicating a “serious risk” of witness tampering and proof that he attempted to conceal prohibited communications with third parties while in custody.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian issued a five-page ruling following last week’s bail hearing. During the hearing, lawyers for the hip-hop mogul proposed a $50 million bail package, arguing it would adequately ensure that Diddy neither flees nor attempts to intimidate potential witnesses ahead of his trial.
Two previous judges had already sided with prosecutors, agreeing that the Bad Boy Records founder posed a danger to the community if released. Judge Subramanian concurred, stating, "There is compelling evidence of Combs’s propensity for violence."
Combs' lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision. Meanwhile, Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the prosecutors, declined to comment.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women over several years, with the help of associates and employees. The indictment claims that he used blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson, and physical beatings, to silence his victims.
Last month, a federal appeals court judge denied Combs' request for immediate release while a three-judge panel from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reviews his bail request. The appeal was paused while Judge Subramanian, who was newly assigned to the case after the previous judge recused himself, considered the bail request for the first time.
Subramanian stated that he carefully reviewed all the bail arguments and the supporting evidence before making his decision.
Prosecutors have argued that no bail conditions would be adequate to protect the public or prevent the "I’ll Be Missing You" singer from fleeing.
Combs' lawyers argue that any alleged sexual abuse mentioned in the indictment took place during consensual relationships between adults. They also contend that new evidence disproves the claims that Combs used his "power and prestige" to coerce female victims into drug-induced, elaborate sexual performances with male sex workers, referred to as "Freak Offs."
The judge also referenced evidence indicating that Combs violated Bureau of Prisons regulations during his pretrial detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He allegedly paid other inmates to use their phone codes, allowing him to make calls to individuals not on his approved contact list.
The judge also noted evidence suggesting that Combs instructed family members and defense counsel to add other individuals to three-way calls, making their communications harder to trace. Additionally, there were efforts to influence the jury pool for his trial and to contact potential witnesses.
Subramanian stated that Combs' "willingness to skirt" jailhouse rules to conceal communications was "strong evidence" that no conditions of release would be effective in preventing similar behavior in the future.
The judge stated that the defense's claim that Combs had stopped using a particular phone technique criticized by prosecutors was contradicted by evidence showing that Combs apparently used the technique again on Sunday, just two days after his bail hearing.
The judge stated that even a bail proposal involving the strictest form of home confinement would still be insufficient to address the risks presented by Combs.
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