Online Reporter
Federal prosecutors narrowed the racketeering conspiracy charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs, removing the claims of arson and kidnapping on Wednesday.
Closing arguments began today in the blockbuster sex trafficking trial.
The music mogul faces five federal counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He’s pleaded not guilty.
Under the racketeering conspiracy charge, prosecutors accused Diddy in the indictment of “creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
In a letter to the court, the government proposed dropping three theories related to the racketeering conspiracy charge as a way to “streamline” jury instructions.
They still intend to pursue the racketeering charge, but removed instructions related to attempted kidnapping, attempted arson and aiding and abetting sex trafficking.
“The government is no longer planning to proceed on these theories of liability so instructions are no longer necessary,” prosecutors wrote in the letter.
All of the five federal charges against Diddy remain.
The move comes after Alexandra Shapiro, one of the 55-year-old mogul’s defense attorneys, passionately argued in court on Tuesday for a judgment of acquittal on all counts.
She claimed there were “deficiencies” to each count and then walked through each charge, outlining why it should be dropped.
Shapiro argued that two of the three of the government’s examples of kidnapping were “insufficient.” – The Independent (UK)
