NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was depicted during the lawyer’s closing arguments on Friday as a target of an intense indictment that attempts to frame his lifestyle and recreational drug use as part of a conspiracy that puts the music mogul at serious risk.
Attorney Mark Agnifilo dismissed the government’s charges against Combs, ridiculing the seizure of numerous bottles of astroglide lubricants and baby oil from the hip-hop venue Imprezari.
“How to go, blowjob,” Agnifilo quipped at the start of his presentation, which is projected to take several hours.
He claimed that prosecutors have taken Combs’ lifestyle and “greatly exaggerated” evidence to allege some kind of assault conspiracy linked to drug use.
“He didn’t do what he’s accused of. There’s no assault or conspiracy to traffic in sex,” the lawyer asserted.
Agnifilo also referred to the prosecutors as conducting a “fake trial,” mocking the notion that Combs was involved in any assault. “Are you serious? Are you joking with me?” he questioned. “Are witnesses really saying they were part of an assault? No,” he stated, insisting that the charges were merely figments of the prosecutors’ imaginations.
Combs’ family, including six children and his mother, were present for the concluding session.
Agnifilo commented on Combs’ character, saying, “He’s someone who cares for others.”
“I don’t know what Jane is up to today,” he mentioned, “but she’s doing it at the house he pays for.”
Regarding the lawsuit from Combs’ accusers, he remarked, “This isn’t about crime; it’s about money. It’s all about money.”
Agnifilo noted that Combs’ long-time girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, had filed a lawsuit that was settled for $20 million just a day before a federal investigation was initiated.
“If there’s a winner in this mess, it’s hard not to say it’s Cassie,” Agnifilo expressed.
Both Cassie and Jane testified that Combs had allegedly been coerced into drug-fueled sexual encounters with male sex workers, often under supervision and sometimes recorded.
If found guilty, Combs could face a minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison.
He did not take the stand during the seven-week trial.
After Agnifilo wrapped up his closing remarks, U.S. Attorney Aide Maurene Comey was expected to present his rebuttal before the judge, who won’t begin deliberation until Monday.
