Northeast

'Diddy' makes 3rd bail attempt after prosecutors allege he blackmailed victims from behind bars

Published

1 year ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

'Diddy' makes 3rd bail attempt after prosecutors allege he blackmailed victims from behind bars

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Sean “Diddy” Combs returned to court Friday after renewing his push to be released on $50 million bail as he awaits trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges – but the judge made no decision and asked both sides to submit documents by Monday.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to make a bail decision next week.

Earlier this week, the judge ordered federal prosecutors to delete images of the billionaire mogul’s handwritten notes taken during a search of his jail – which his lawyers said were protected by attorney-client privilege and improperly seized. Excerpts from those notes that prosecutors referenced previously cannot be used at the bond hearing, the judge added.

The quotes in question referenced getting “dirt” on at least two potential witnesses.

LAWYER BREAKS DOWN DIDDY’S ‘ONLY REAL CHANCE’ IN SEX CRIMES TRIAL AFTER FEDS OBTAIN JAILHOUSE NOTES

Sean “Diddy” Combs rides a bicycle from his home across the Star Island Bridge in Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Romain Maurice/Mega for Fox News Digital)

After seeing his bail denied on two prior occasions following an arrest in September, Combs renewed his quest for freedom last week with a new bail proposal offering the same $50 million sum, secured by his Miami Beach mansion, which his lawyers say is worth about $48 million. Prosecutors are arguing that Combs’ release could put victims and witnesses at risk. Despite the staggering sum offered up by the defense, the judge has so far kept the hip-hop icon behind bars.

In court documents, his lawyers argued that the brutal assault of former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel, preserved on video, was part of “a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship between Mr. Combs and Victim-1.”

Prosecutors previously raised “serious concerns” about the safety of victims and witnesses if Combs were to go free, and the judge overseeing his criminal case rejected his wide-ranging request for a gag order that would have restricted additional accusers from coming forward.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: WHAT DIDDY DO?

WATCH: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly pummels woman in 2016 hotel video

“Combs’s authorities don’t support a gag order applicable not only to trial participants, but also to any alleged victim and their lawyer,” Judge Arun Subramanian wrote. “Local Rule 23.1 doesn’t authorize this kind of relief. The limitations of that rule don’t even apply to witnesses, let alone prospective ones that haven’t yet been identified.”

Combs has been held without bail at a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest on federal sex trafficking, forced prostitution and racketeering charges.

A trial is scheduled for May 5 of next year. By then, the U.S. attorney overseeing his case could be replaced by President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton.

DIDDY ACCUSER SAYS SHE WOKE UP ON STREET WITH DATE RAPE DRUG IN HER SYSTEM AFTER MEETING MOGUL BACKSTAGE

Sean Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a sexual abuse suit against him in November 2023, which was settled one day later. (Getty Images)

The feds opened their investigation in November 2023, around the time Ventura sued Combs, alleging physical and sexual abuse. He settled her civil lawsuit a day after she filed it.

Combs vehemently denied the allegations from Ventura and from all the other accusers. Then, the video leaked – showing the nearly naked billionaire brutally assaulting her in the hallway of Los Angeles’ Intercontinental Hotel.

DIDDY PLACED ON ROUTINE SUICIDE WATCH IN NEW YORK JAIL: SOURCE

The video appeared to corroborate at least one claim in Ventura’s lawsuit – that Combs punched her in the face in the hotel in 2016.

Sean “Diddy” Combs attends the 2023 Invest Fest at Georgia World Congress Center on Aug. 26, 2023 in Atlanta. ( Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“Mr. Combs became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye,” her lawyers alleged.

He was drunk, according to the lawsuit, and when he passed out, she tried to sneak out. However, he allegedly woke up and resumed screaming at her, followed her into the hallway and threw her on the ground.

Over the past year, new accusers have continued to come forward, and Texas attorney Tony Buzbee said in October he now represents more than 100 people looking to sue the rapper.

This image repeatedly appears in some of the lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs, described as “an actual exemplary container” allegedly used by Combs and alleged conspirators “to insert GHB into alcoholic drinks.” (Southern District of NY)

Combs has been accused of doling out date rape drugs and victimizing adults and children at parties, some of which allegedly involved unnamed “celebrity” accomplices.

The judge is still mulling over some of Combs’ other documents taken during the jail search, which include 19 pages of notes from his locker in the federal detention center, “intact pages from two different legal pads,” pages from an address book, and torn-out pages from three other legal pads.

The defense has also requested copies of jailhouse surveillance video taken during the search.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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Pittsburg, PA

Emotional 2026 Pittsburgh Marathon saw multiple new records set

Published

24 minutes ago

May 3, 2026

Press Room

Emotional 2026 Pittsburgh Marathon saw multiple new records set

This year’s Pittsburgh Marathon is one for the record books. More than 52,000 runners crossed the finish line, with more than 300,000 spectators cheering them on.

“We’re welcoming people from around the world,” P3R CEO Troy Schooley said. “This event has turned into an international event for our city. We’re going to show it off today. The runners will run through 14 neighborhoods. We have 33 different countries represented today and all 50 states.”

Mohammed El Youssfi claimed the men’s division of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, crossing the finish line and immediately wrapping himself in the Moroccan flag.

“This is my first time in Pittsburgh, but the special moment for me today is the people here cheering me on,” El Youssfi said. “That helped me to win the race.”

Emotions ran high for Pittsburgh’s very own Will Loevner. The Winchester Thurston graduate has run the Pittsburgh Marathon multiple times, finishing as the runner-up in 2024 and fifth in 2025. But in 2026, he took home top honors, crossing the finish line first at 2:14.

“I’ve now won the Philadelphia marathon, the Cleveland marathon twice,” Loevner said. “To win Pittsburgh, I feel like it was the trifecta and the most special one for me. I mean, being in the hometown, nothing even compares.”

Buze Diriba Kejela is 2026’s women’s Pittsburgh Half Marathon champion, setting a course record for women and crossing the finish line at 1:08:39.

“I’m happy to set the course record. I like it,” she said.

Before the runners crossed the start line, the handcyclists got a head start. Marshall Tempest of Monroeville came out on top in the Pittsburgh Marathon Handcycle Division, finishing at 1:40:16.

“I’ve done 13 Pittsburgh marathons, and this is my 5th time winning it, in a row,” he said. “It feels good. It was a rough one, but I was determined to get that 5th one.”

“I love running,” said Will Henry Lawrence, who ran the half-marathon. “I love being able to have breath in my lungs and let my feet hit the pavement. I had a stroke six years ago, and so I give all glory to God for being able to get out and exercise.”

Tickets for the 2027 Pittsburgh Marathon are on sale for 48 hours, starting at 3 p.m. on May 3, 2026. You can register at thepittsburghmarathon.com

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Connecticut

Scammers use AI images of injured pets to target owners, Blumenthal warns Connecticut residents

Published

2 hours ago

May 3, 2026

Press Room

Scammers use AI images of injured pets to target owners, Blumenthal warns Connecticut residents

In a new and rapidly expanding scam, swindlers are using images generated by artificial intelligence to tap the wallets of desperate and heartbroken owners of lost pets.

In a press conference on Friday, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, warned state residents about a fraud that is becoming “more and more rampant.”

Scammers manipulate photos of lost pets posted by owners on social media to make it appear the animal has been hurt, according to media reports from around the nation.

In Florida and Texas, for example, scammers have told owners of missing dogs that their pets were hit by cars, with an accompanying image of a dog that looks like theirs on a veterinarian’s operating table, WESH 2, a Hearst TV station affiliate in Florida, reported recently. The scammer then demands payment for the surgery.

An urgent demand for money is a red flag, Blumenthal said, along with the claim that a lost pet has been hurt and images of an injured pet. The Federal Trade Commission, as the nation’s consumer protection agency, should issue a formal warning about the scam, the senator said.

Numerous reports of lost pet scams have surfaced recently, Popular Science reported in March, describing a few common scenarios, including the one in which the owner is sent an image of what appears to be their injured pet at a veterinary hospital and another, in which the owner is sent images of what appears to be their pet at a shelter, about to be euthanized. But, the article states, these images are false.

Other types of lost pet scams involve an offer of fake pet-finding services, according to the Better Business Bureau.

“You may receive a message from someone on social media about drone technology and search parties that can help you find your pet,” the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization reported. “The person will ask you for payment up front and will likely ask you to send it through a peer-to-peer payment app. Before paying for services, always search for the business on BBB.org or check BBB Scam Tracker.”

All types of cyber-scams have been proliferating in the nation, according to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report. Since the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center was launched about 25 years ago, complaints have surged, the FBI reported, with a current average of about 3,000 complaints each day.

In 2025, losses reported to the center continued to climb, surpassing $20 billion, the FBI reported. Investment-related fraud once again made up the largest part of the losses, followed by business email compromises and tech support scams, the agency reported.

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