Sean “Diddy” Combs’ assistant, Brendan Paul, has been charged with felony drug possession following his arrest last month amid a federal sex trafficking probe into the music mogul.
Lawyer Brian Bieber entered a not guilty plea Wednesday on behalf of the 25-year-old — who played college basketball with the Syracuse Orange from 2018 to 2020 — during Paul’s arraignment in a Miami-Dade County courtroom, NBC Miami reports.
Paul — who was named in accuser Rodney Jones’ complaint as Diddy’s personal drug “mule” as well as his confidant — was not physically present at the arraignment.
Records show that officials filed a cocaine possession charge and dropped a charge of possession of a controlled substance, according to the outlet.
Paul was taken into custody March 25 as federal officers raided a plane at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport — at the same time feds were also raiding Combs’ properties in both Miami and Los Angeles.
“We will be dealing with this case in the courtroom, not the court of public opinion,” Bieber told TMZ Wednesday.
Producer and videographer Jones came forward in February to accuse Combs of having sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily News at the time.
Jones’ allegations followed similarly disturbing ones late last year by Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie. The R&B singer, 37, filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of rape, sex trafficking and abuse, only to settle out of court the following day. Multiple lawsuits by other women alleging Combs sexually assaulted them quickly followed.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in March that the raids at Combs’ homes were part of a sex trafficking investigation.
In a statement to the Daily News, Combs’ attorney referred to the operation as “a gross overuse of military-level force” and noted the Bad Boy Records founder “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”
