Federal prosecutors on Tuesday rested their case in the sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
“At this time, subject to confirming all of the government records are accurate in the record, the government rests,” prosecutor Emily Johnson said.
Calling 34 witnesses over the last 28 days of testimony and introducing hundreds of pieces of evidence, prosecutors are trying to prove the onetime titan of hip-hop used his wealth and clout to coerce and manipulate women into unwanted and unconventional sex for his personal gratification.
In a sweeping racketeering case that threatens to send Combs to prison for life if he's convicted, the rap mogul is charged with using his business empire and personal fortune, once valued at nearly $1 billion, to secretly run a criminal organization devoted to protecting his reputation and funding years of criminal conduct.
Firebombing a Porsche, kidnapping one of his employees, breaking into a rival's mansion and paying a security guard a $100,000 bribe are just a few of the eye-popping allegations prosecutors presented to the jury to try to prove their contention that Combs is a criminal. They argue Combs forced women to have sex with male prostitutes as he watched and masturbated during drug-fueled sex sessions that could last days. To keep his alleged victims silent, prosecutors say, Combs used violence, coercion and threats that they would be embarrassed or face financial ruin.
As soon as the government rested its case, the defense asked the judge to immediately find Combs not guilty of all the charges.
“The defense moves for a judgment of acquittal on all counts,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said. “The government has failed to meet its burden.”
The jury was not in the room for the argument.
“The evidence does not establish that Mr. Combs conspired with any other person to violate the RICO statute,” Shapiro said. “They failed to show that any other individual actually conspired with him to conduct the affairs of this 20-year purported criminal enterprise.”
A grand jury indicted Combs in September 2024 on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. After declining to take a plea deal from prosecutors, Combs went to trial in May and could go to prison for the rest of his life if convicted on all counts.
He has pleaded not guilty and insists that any sex acts — no matter how far outside the mainstream they might be — were voluntary and remain the private business of consenting adults. Attorneys for Combs have acknowledged that the superstar is "complex" and has committed acts of violence and abused illicit drugs, but they argue that he never engaged in sex trafficking or ran a criminal enterprise as prosecutors allege.
Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy and follow ABC News' live blog for real-time updates on the trial.
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