Sean “Diddy” Combs faces mounting legal pressure as federal prosecutors prepare to call his former employees to testify while also seeking to introduce a 911 call they say could severely damage his defense.
The Government alleges that in December 2011, the Hip-Hop mogul broke into a Los Angeles residence where a victim had been staying.
Prosecutors say the victim called 911 shortly after discovering the break-in and they plan to use that call as evidence at trial.
“Because this call was made shortly after discovering the break-in… Individual 2’s statements are nevertheless admissible because they were made close in time to when he observed the break-in at his home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky
They claim the 911 call reflects the victim’s mental state during the incident and offer more proof Diddy was leading a violent criminal enterprise.
The 911 call is just one piece of a broader strategy prosecutors are building as they pursue three felony counts against Diddy, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.
In addition to the call, the Government plans to introduce testimony and communications from Diddy’s former employees, security guards and assistants, including text messages and recordings.
Prosecutors say these statements are directly tied to the employees’ roles in serving Diddy and are relevant to the alleged criminal enterprise.
“At trial, the Government anticipates introducing multiple statements made by the defendant’s employees… Those statements will be offered as exhibits (including text messages sent by the defendant’s employees and recordings of the defendant’s employees), as well as through the testimony of witnesses. These statements cover a variety of different topics, but they all center around the employees’ core job responsibilities of serving the defendant,” Podolsky said.
The Government is also asking the court to block Diddy from introducing his own prior statements unless they meet specific legal exceptions.
They want to prevent the defense from presenting arguments about his character or suggesting the charges are politically motivated or retaliatory.
Diddy is accused of participating in a racketeering conspiracy from 2004 to 2024, which allegedly involved kidnapping, arson and violence.
He is also charged with sex trafficking a victim between 2009 and 2018 and transporting multiple people—including three alleged sex trafficking victims and male sex workers—across state lines for prostitution between 2009 and 2024.
His trial is scheduled to begin on May 5. The judge has not yet ruled whether the 911 call will be admitted as evidence.
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