Why did Mr. Combs get arrested?

Prosecutors said in an indictment that Mr. Combs has been the mastermind of a sprawling criminal enterprise since at least 2008 that included his employees and engaged in kidnapping, forced labor, arson and bribery.According to the government, Mr. Combs used force, threats and coercion to manipulate women into what he called “freak offs”: “highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity” in hotels and other locations that were fueled by drugs and could last for days. At these events, the government says, women were plied with drugs to keep them “obedient” and coerced to participate in sex with male prostitutes, some of whom were transported over state lines...

What charges does he face?

Mr. Combs was charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

What happened during the raids?

Court documents revealed new details about the raids of Mr. Combs’s homes in Florida and California. According to the documents, “law enforcement seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.” Agents also found nine AR-15-style weapons at his Miami Beach residence, including three with defaced serial numbers.Video of Mr. Combs’s home showing the aftermath of the Los Angeles raid that was published by TMZ showed belongings spilling out of cabinets and a set of empty shelves with Mr. Combs’s three Grammys sitting on top...

What lawsuits does Mr. Combs face?

The descriptions of the events in the criminal complaint mirror accusations made in a lawsuit last year by Casandra Ventura , Mr. Combs’s former girlfriend and an artist signed to his record label, Bad Boy, under the name Cassie.She accused Mr. Combs of rape, physical abuse and forced sex with male prostitutes. The suit was settled just one day later , with both Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura saying their dispute had been resolved “amicably.”CNN published surveillance footage in May that appeared to show Mr. Combs physically assaulting and kicking Ms. Ventura in a manner consistent with allegations she made against him in the lawsuit, in which she described a 2016 incident an InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The video showed Mr. Combs grabbing Ms. Ventura and throwing her to the ground, kicking her twice and beginning to drag her down the hallway by her sweatshirt...

How has Mr. Combs responded?

Mr. Combs has denied all of the allegations against him, pleading not guilty to the criminal charge. In a statement released on the day the fourth lawsuit against him was filed, Mr. Combs said: “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”After Mr. Combs was arrested, one of his lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, addressed reporters outside the federal courthouse. “He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might, and the full confidence of his lawyers,” Mr. Agnifilo said. “And I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs.”...

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Sean Combs’s Federal Charges: What We Know

Mr. Combs was charged with running a “criminal enterprise” that included sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He is being held in a troubled federal jail.

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Federal agents searched Sean Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach this year.Credit...Willy Sanjuan/Invision, via Associated Press

By Julia Jacobs and Ben Sisario

Sept. 25, 2024

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The hip-hop mogul Sean Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, one day after being arrested.

Mr. Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty to the charges and will remain in custody as he awaits trial. A magistrate judge denied his legal team’s request for bail on Tuesday, citing Mr. Combs’s anger issues and history of substance abuse, and a district judge upheld the decision on Wednesday, saying that Mr. Combs posed a risk of witness tampering and was a danger to the safety of the community.

Mr. Combs built a career as a high-profile music producer and artist, and for decades has been lauded as one of the architects of hip-hop’s commercial rise. But his legacy has become interlaced with accusations of sexual violence.

A series of civil lawsuits over the past year accusing him of sexual assault and other allegations of sexual misconduct spilled into public view, and his business empire began to crumble as he became the subject of a federal investigation. In March, federal agents raided two of his homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach.

Here is what we know about the case against Mr. Combs.

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In a news conference detailing the charges against Mr. Combs, prosecutors detailed the nine AR-15-style weapons that federal agents found at his Miami Beach residenceCredit...Dave Sanders for The New York Times

Where is Mr. Combs being held?

Because he has been denied bail, Mr. Combs has been ordered held at a federal detention center in Brooklyn until trial, though his lawyers may still try to appeal that ruling further. He is currently at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a hulking concrete structure in Brooklyn that houses more than 1,200 people. It has a reputation for poor conditions, and his lawyers have called it “horrific,” but federal officials have said improvements have been made.

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