The attorney representing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has claimed his case is an example of the federal government’s overall toxicity toward a successful black man.
Scandal hit the music mogul, 54, who was sensationally arrested and charged last week with crimes including extortion and sex trafficking, both of which he has denied.
His lawyer Marc Agnifilo, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney, came out and blamed the feds for arresting Diddy because he is black.
speaking in TMZ In “The Fall of Diddy: The Indictment,” Agnifilo said the federal government “has historically not been a friend to the successful black man.”
“They are starting to present this case as the takedown of a successful black man. This is the government examining his businesses, examining his taxes, he does everything right,’ he said.
His lawyer Marc Agnifilo, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney, came out and blamed the feds for arresting Diddy because he is black.
Diddy, seen here with his ex-girlfriend Kim Porter,
Agnifilo added: ‘What’s the last vestige, let’s go into his bedroom because maybe we don’t like the way he’s having sex.’
He goes on to say that his client has had “some of the biggest businesses” owned by a black man and that society has now reduced Diddy to the status of a “monster.”
Combs was arrested by Homeland Security officials last week at the Park Hyatt hotel in midtown Manhattan.
Since then, he has been incarcerated while awaiting trial inside the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.
The charge, which details allegations dating back to 2008, accuses him of abusing, threatening and coercing women for years “to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”
Combs has been accused of hosting ‘Freak Offs’, described as ‘elaborate and produced sexual performances’ organized and directed by Combs while he masturbated and often recorded them.
His indictment claimed that some ‘Freak Offs’ would last for days, requiring Combs and the victims to receive intravenous fluids to recover from exertion and drug use.
Federal agents said they confiscated “1,000 bottles” of baby oil and lubricant after a raid on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles earlier this year.
Earlier this week, Agnifilo said the star liked to buy in bulk, as other Americans tend to do.
He told the New York Post: “I don’t think it was 1,000.” I think it was a lot. I mean, there’s a Costco right down the street. I think Americans buy in bulk, as we know.
Federal agents said they confiscated ‘1,000 bottles’ of baby oil and lubricant after a raid on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles earlier this year.
Police and agents are seen surrounding Diddy’s Miami home in March after conducting raids.
Agnifilo added: “These are consensual adults doing what consensual adults do, you know, we can’t be so puritanical in this country to think that somehow sex is a bad thing because if it were there wouldn’t be more people.”
Costco has since come out and confirmed that they do not sell baby oil at any of their locations nationwide.
Agnifilo said his client feels positive about his chances in court, adding: “He’s just focused, he’s committed, he’s helpful and he’s confident.”
“We’re going over our defense like we do every day and their mood is relatively good.”
Diddy’s arrest came 10 months after accusations of sexual and other abuse against the music mogul, and an announcement by prosecutors that he was being investigated for sex trafficking.
The allegations began with a lawsuit filed by Diddy’s ex, Cassie Ventura, who claimed the star beat and raped her.
The lawsuit was settled the day after it became public, but Diddy has since been dogged by other claims.
Last year, Diddy was sued by his ex Cassie, who alleged that Diddy trafficked her, raped her, drugged her, and brutally beat her on many occasions. They are photographed here in 2018.
The indictment against him also alleges that he coerced and abused women for years while using blackmail and shocking acts of violence to keep his victims in line.
He refers indirectly to an attack on his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, which was captured on video.
Prosecutors wanted him imprisoned. His lawyers proposed that he be released on $50 million bail and placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring. US Judge Robyn Tarnofsky sided with the government.
Like many older hip-hop figures, Bad Boy Records founder Diddy had established a gentler public image.
The father of seven was a respected businessman whose annual ‘White Party’ in the Hamptons was once a must-visit treat for the jet-setting elite.
The lawsuit was settled the day after it became public, but Diddy has since been dogged by other claims.
But prosecutors said he facilitated his crimes using the same companies, people and methods that brought him to power.
They said they would prove the charges with financial and travel records, electronic communications and videos of the ‘Freak Offs’.
In March, authorities raided Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Florida, seizing drugs, videos and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, prosecutors said.
They said agents also confiscated weapons and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers.
A conviction on each count would require 15 years of mandatory prison with the possibility of life in prison.