Diddy Still Under Investigation, More Testimonies To Grand Jury
By Afouda Bamidele on September 19, 2024 at 5:15 PM EDT
The drama surrounding Diddy's federal indictment continues, with new people ready to share their story in court.
The grand jury is reportedly ready to hear witnesses' narratives, with more people cooperating with the feds amid their ongoing investigation into the rapper's sexual assault allegations.
Diddy remains behind bars following his arrest and indictment on three criminal counts. He has been denied bail twice despite his desperate efforts for freedom.
A Sex Worker Is A Part Of The New Witnesses Against Diddy
According to new reports, sources claim that at least one person has been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. They noted that others are also willing to help federal prosecutors in their case against Diddy.
Meanwhile, at least two new people plan to cooperate with the feds in their investigations and are willing to testify before the grand jury. One of these witnesses is a current sex worker.
The individual reportedly got involved with Diddy in 2014 and claims they will be interviewed by the feds in New York City later this month. Their story matches authorities' ongoing movements, as they are still gathering information and checking out potential witnesses.
Beyond the new grand jury witnesses and federal investigation, Diddy continues to fight for his freedom. TMZ shared that he was denied bail a second time on Wednesday, September 18, following his second offer to the court.
Diddy's Lawyer Is Fighting For Better Accommodations
During Wednesday's hearing, the judge doubled down on their previous decision to hold Diddy in custody without bail until his trial officially begins. He remains in New York's infamous detention center, MDC Brooklyn.
Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, stressed that they weren't deterred by the judge's decision to keep his client in custody. He shared his plan to get the rapper out of MDC Brooklyn and into better accommodations.
Getting shut down twice must have been a brutal blow for Diddy, who desperately tried to win the court and prosecutors over with two tempting bail offers. The Blast shared that his first offer was $50 million and an agreement to let the feds track his movement.
However, his petition was rejected and followed by a second offer to limit his contacts. Diddy's legal reps claimed the security company responsible for logging all visitors at his Miami Beach home would hand over the information to the government nightly.
Diddy Vowed Not To Contact Women
According to his second bail offer, Diddy claimed he would limit visitors to family, property caretakers, and friends not listed as co-conspirators in the federal indictment. He also vowed not to contact women outside his family like the mothers of his children.
The contact limitations seemed to be his way of addressing the court's concern about him contacting or intimidating witnesses. Diddy's legal reps also noted he wouldn't contact known grand jury witnesses.
The offer did not end there, as Diddy promised to submit to weekly drug tests. The proposal stemmed from the drug allegations in his indictment and the feds' claims that they found drugs in his New York hotel room when he was arrested on Monday.
The Music Mogul Claims He Is Innocent
The Blast noted that Diddy made his first court appearance at a hearing on Tuesday, where he entered a not-guilty plea. He denied the criminal charges against him, including:
- Racketeering conspiracy.
- Sex trafficking by force, cause, or coercion.
- Transportation to engage in prostitution.
The sex trafficking crimes allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2018, while the prostitution allegations happened between 2009 and 2024. The indictment accused Diddy of abusing his power, claiming he:
"Abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."
Diddy allegedly used his music empire to "create a criminal enterprise," where his associates engaged in or attempted to engage in "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice."
Diddy Won A Small Legal Victory Amid His Federal Indictment
While Diddy failed to score bail, The Blast shared that he snagged a minor legal victory in his battle against a Michigan inmate. The plaintiff, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, accused him of sexual assault.
Cardello-Smith claimed he was drugged and sexually assaulted by Diddy at a Detroit party in 1997. He won a default judgment of $100 million because the rapper failed to file a response to his lawsuit.
However, Diddy won't be coughing up any money because his attorney, David Fink, convinced the judge to set aside the default judgment. He argued that Cardello-Smith had failed to prove he had effectively served the lawsuit per Michigan law.
With the judgment set aside, the case between Diddy and the Michigan inmate will proceed like any other lawsuit. However, will the embattled rapper fight this battle alongside his federal indictment or move for a dismissal?