Sean “Diddy” Combs pays other inmates for access to their phone accounts and asks his family members to post “carefully selected” messages on social media in an attempt to influence public opinion and hinder justice. justice before his next trial. for racketeering and sex trafficking chargesfederal prosecutors say.

In a new court filing obtained by rolling stoneProsecutors in the Southern District of New York say the music mogul, who is now being held in a federal detention center in Brooklyn, knowingly violated prison regulations when he used the phone accounts of at least eight other inmates to make calls from his arrest on September 16 in Manhattan. Prosecutors say they have the recordings.

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“Apparently to avoid law enforcement surveillance, the defendant uses the PAC numbers of other inmates to make phone calls both to people on the defendant’s approved contact list as well as to other inmates. other people who are not on the approved contact list. To obtain or maintain access to other inmates’ PAC numbers, Defendant directs others to pay inmates, including through payment processing applications and deposits into BOP Commissioner accounts,” the new filing says .

Prosecutors’ new 30-page filing urges the judge in the case to deny Combs’ latest request for bail while he awaits his May 5 trial. Combs, 55, already was refused bail twice, but he is heading to a third hearing on the matter next Friday, proposing a new bail proposal of $50 million.

“The defendant does not provide anything new or material to warrant a third bail hearing. In fact, the only truly ‘new’ relevant evidence shows that the defendant continued to engage in relentless obstructive conduct intended to compromise the integrity of these proceedings,” prosecutors wrote in their objection filed Friday evening.

“While attempting to evade law enforcement surveillance, the defendant has, among other things, orchestrated social media campaigns that seek, in his own words, to taint the jury roll; has made efforts to publicly disclose documents he considers helpful to his case; and contacted witnesses through third parties.

Prosecutors allege that a recent video posted to Combs’ Instagram account where his children were gathering and I wished him a happy birthday while receiving a phone call from prison was far from spontaneous.

“The defendant asked family members to plan and execute a social media campaign on his birthday, in an attempt to influence the potential jury in this criminal proceeding,” prosecutors allege. in the new folder. They said the video was “carefully curated” by Combs before being posted to his account with nearly 20 million followers and to his children’s accounts. “The accused, from the (Metropolitan Detention Center), then monitored the analytics, i.e. public engagement, and explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video produced the “desired effect on potential jury members in this case,” prosecutors say. .

The combs have pleaded not guilty. His representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on prosecutors’ latest filing, but they have previously said they are confident he will prevail at trial. “Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and in the integrity of the legal process. In court, the truth will prevail: Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – male or female, adult or minor,” his media team said in an earlier statement.

Combs and his team believe he should be released to better prepare for his trial. Prosecutors say in their redacted filing that Combs’ behavior behind bars makes it clear he cannot be trusted. They allege that notes collected in Combs’ prison cell during a search of his cell suggested he paid a witness in his case to make a public statement. They also allege that the recorded calls reveal that Combs directed others to “call third parties,” including people not on his approved contact list.

“The defendant demonstrated repeatedly – ​​even while in custody – that he would blatantly and repeatedly flout the rules in order to improperly influence the outcome of his case,” the new filing states. “In other words, the defendant has shown that he cannot be trusted to follow the rules or conditions.”

If convicted of the charges in his criminal case, Combs faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

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