Federal prosecutors have dropped some of the most sensational allegations against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, scaling back the racketeering conspiracy charges just a day before closing arguments are set to begin in his high-profile sex trafficking trial.
According to The Independent, in a court filing on Wednesday, the government said it would no longer pursue claims involving attempted kidnapping, attempted arson, and aiding and abetting sex trafficking, choosing instead to streamline the case for the jury.
However, prosecutors are continuing with the broader racketeering conspiracy charge, alongside other federal charges of sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution.
“The Government is no longer planning to proceed on these theories of liability, so instructions are no longer necessary,” the letter to the court stated.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His defense team, led by attorney Alexandra Shapiro, has argued that the evidence does not support any of the charges, calling the prosecution’s case weak and unsubstantiated.
“There are clear deficiencies in each count,” Shapiro said in court on Tuesday, asking the judge to acquit her client before the case goes to the jury.
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She particularly challenged the kidnapping claims, saying that even if misconduct occurred, there was no direct link to Diddy.
One such allegation came from Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Combs, who testified that she was taken to a rundown building by one of Diddy’s security heads, where she was subjected to repeated lie detector tests.
She said she was told she would be thrown into the East River if she failed. Shapiro pushed back, arguing, “There’s simply no evidence Diddy had knowledge of this or that it even qualifies legally as kidnapping.”
In another explosive claim, rapper Scott Mescudi—known as Kid Cudi—alleged that his car was firebombed in 2012 after Diddy learned he had dated Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend. But the defense said no proof tied Combs to the act, and noted that a Molotov cocktail found at the scene carried female DNA.
Prosecutors now intend to focus their racketeering case on allegations of sex trafficking and forced labor, steering away from the more dramatic but less substantiated accusations.
Judge Raymond Williams has not yet ruled on the defense’s motion for acquittal. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Thursday morning, marking the final phase of a trial that has captivated public attention with weeks of dramatic testimony and disturbing allegations.
Combs has maintained his innocence throughout, and has not commented publicly during the proceedings.
