What is Racketeering & why has Diddy been charged with it?
18 September 2024, 12:30 | Updated: 19 September 2024, 11:12
What is the definition of racketeering and why has Diddy been charged with it? Here's the explanation behind this charge after he was arrested.
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Diddy has been arrested and charged with Racketeering Conspiracy as well as Sex Trafficking and Transportation to Engage in Prostitution over three counts.
The 54-year-old rapper was denied bail in New York City after being accused of running a 'decades-long' criminal enterprise, and remains in a detention centre until his trial.
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Here's a breakdown of the Racketeering charge against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who has also gone by monikers P Diddy and Puff Daddy in the past.
What is the definition of Racketeering and what is its meaning?
As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, Racketeering means making money from a dishonest or illegal activity.
An example of Racketeering could be money laundering, shoplifting and blackmail operations.
The first count Diddy has been charged with is Racketeering conspiracy, which is listed as "for decades, the defendant abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."
Additionally, the charge of Racketeering is described as: "To do so, COMBS relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.
They continued: "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."
Diddy is expected to appear in court again today in New York, following the news that his lawyer Marc Agnifilo is appealing the decision.
Agnifilio said Combs was “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
Lawyers argued that Combs should be allowed to remain on house arrest, however judges have ordered the rapper to be housed at Metropolitan Detention Centre in New York.
Diddy's indictment was unsealed yesterday, Tuesday, 17 September, following his arrest on Monday.
