Latest news with #USAttorney'sOffice
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Diddy seeks release on $US50m bond ahead of sentencing
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers have urged a judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a multimillion-dollar bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing regarding the $US50 million ($A77 million) bond, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs". Combs pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on Tuesday, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offences at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, said in a statement, "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn". Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers have urged a judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a multimillion-dollar bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing regarding the $US50 million ($A77 million) bond, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs". Combs pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on Tuesday, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offences at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, said in a statement, "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn". Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers have urged a judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a multimillion-dollar bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing regarding the $US50 million ($A77 million) bond, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs". Combs pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on Tuesday, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offences at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, said in a statement, "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn". Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers have urged a judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a multimillion-dollar bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing regarding the $US50 million ($A77 million) bond, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs". Combs pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on Tuesday, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offences at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, said in a statement, "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn".
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Diddy seeks release on $US50m bond ahead of sentencing
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers have urged a judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a multimillion-dollar bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing regarding the $US50 million ($A77 million) bond, Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs". Combs pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on Tuesday, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offences at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, said in a statement, "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn".
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Diddy's conviction is racist, says rapper's lawyer
Sean 'Diddy' Combs's conviction is racist and sexist, his lawyers have argued. In a legal filing seeking that the 55-year-old be released on bail while awaiting sentencing, his attorneys argued the 1910 Mann Act, under which he was convicted, was 'rich with both racism and misogyny'. They also said while Combs had been found guilty of two prostitution related charges, he had not profited financially from those acts. 'Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,' said his lawyer Marc Agnifilo. Making use of a slang term used for men who pay prostitutes, he added: 'In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of John.' He said that, historically, the Act has been used to prosecute pimps and those who profit from prostitution. Prior to the trial, Combs's lawyers argued the same law was used in 1913 to convict Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, of transporting a white woman across state lines. Johnson died in 1946 and was granted a posthumous pardon by President Donald Trump in 2018. After a trial in New York City that spread over six weeks and which heard testimony from a number of witnesses, including his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, the celebrated music mogul was found not guilty of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. However, he was convicted of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence, though experts have said they doubt the judge would impose a punishment in the upper limit. The lawyers asked for the court to release Combs on a $50-million bond ahead of his Oct 3 sentencing. They also claimed the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn were dangerous. Even though Combs was cleared of the most serious charges, his conviction marked the fall from grace of someone who was once one of the most influential figures in the music industry. Prosecutors told the jury that Combs and his associates used physical violence and threats to have two of his former girlfriends take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers. Sometimes they were termed 'freak-offs'. Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder claimed the women took part willingly. There was no immediate response from the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges. Nicole Westmoreland, one of Combs's lawyers told the New York Times his legal team intended to appeal his conviction. Similarly, there was no comment from lawyers for the women who testified against him.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks release on US$50-million bond ahead of sentencing
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers on July 29 urged the judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a US$50-million (S$64.39-million) bond ahead of his October 3 sentencing, after the hip-hop mogul was found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced. In a court filing, Combs' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were dangerous, and said defendants convicted in the past of prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs' were usually released before their sentencing. "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," Agnifilo wrote. "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john." A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. After a six-week trial, Combs, 55, was found not guilty on July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. He was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence, but prosecutors have acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum. Prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder used physical violence, threats, and the resources of his business empire to coerce two of his former girlfriends to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called "freak-offs." Combs pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argued his two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters. US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed. In their filing on July 29, Combs' lawyers said it was unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offenses at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution. They also said Combs' detention since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an "exceptional circumstance" warranting Combs' release despite the evidence he had been violent. Combs' lawyers have said there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on July 29 that his safety is at risk. The US Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, has said it is engaged in "intensive efforts" to improve conditions there. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REUTERS
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump pick Alina Habba to remain acting NJ US attorney after judges reject her for the post: ‘I don't cower to pressure'
Alina Habba, President Trump's pick to serve as New Jersey US attorney, will continue to serve as the Garden State's top prosecutor despite a panel of judges rejecting her for the post. 'Donald J. Trump is the 47th President. Pam Bondi is the Attorney General. And I am now the Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey,' Habba wrote on X Thursday. 'I don't cower to pressure. I don't answer to politics,' she added. 'This is a fight for justice. And I'm all in.' Habba was tapped by Trump to lead the New Jersey US Attorney's Office in March. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post Habba's stint as New Jersey's interim US attorney was set to expire on Friday. She was tapped for the temporary role by Trump in March – pending permanent approval – and had 120 days to serve as US attorney in an interim capacity. The Garden State's 17 federal judges — mainly appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden — opted against extending Habba's tenure earlier this week and announced the appointment of First Assistant US Attorney in New Jersey Desiree Leigh Grace to lead the office. Grace was subsequently fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the DOJ would 'not tolerate rogue judges.' A DOJ official explained to multiple outlets Thursday that Trump withdrew Habba's nomination to be the state's US attorney and that she was appointed first assistant US attorney, replacing Grace, and allowing Habba to become acting US attorney of New Jersey. The first assistant attorney becomes acting US attorney if the position is vacant. Habba revealed that she would remain as New Jersey's top prosecutor in an X post. US Attorney Habba, /X The DOJ and New Jersey US Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Habba, Trump's onetime personal attorney, had been blocked from receiving a Senate confirmation hearing by some Democrats in the upper chamber – leaving an extension of her interim status by the state judges or Thursday's workaround as the only options for her to remain New Jersey's top prosecutor. The New Jersey native had garnered the enthusiastic support of the National Troopers Coalition, National Association of Police Organizations and National Police Defense Foundation since being nominated to the post.
