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A review of recorded calls from the Metropolitan Detention Center revealed that Combs used the phone accounts of at least eight inmates to allegedly avoid tracking, prosecutors said.
They also alleged that he paid inmates through intermediaries in violation of the rules.
Combs also used three-way calls to reach certain individuals not on the approved contact list and used an unauthorized third-party system to send “hundreds of text messages” to dozens of individuals, including those not on the list, he told prosecutors.
The new charges were revealed in a court filing late Friday as federal prosecutors argue Combs should not be eligible for another bail hearing.
CNN has reached out to Combs’ defense team for comment.
He is due back in court on Friday.
Combs is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn awaiting trial on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution-related charges. He pleaded not guilty.
Last year, Combs was also accused in multiple civil suits of sexual assault or other misconduct, which he denied.
The music mogul sought to contact potential witnesses, including prosecutors, prosecutors said, with the goal of blackmailing them into silence or testifying to help his defense.
“Since defendant was detained at the MDC, he has continued to attempt to evade law enforcement oversight, corruptly influence witness testimony, and continue to attack the integrity of this proceeding,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors say that “while attempting to avoid law enforcement surveillance, the defendant, among other things, orchestrated social media campaigns that, in his own words, were aimed at spoliating the jury; he sought to publicly release materials he believed to be helpful his case; and contacted witnesses through third parties”.
After Combs’ arrest in September, prosecutors repeatedly said the government’s investigation into Combs was ongoing and active.
A federal grand jury is meeting regularly to continue the criminal investigation, CNN reported Oct. 31, citing three sources.
The latest legal filing in the case comes a week after Judge Arun Subramanian rejected Combs’ attempt to silence any potential witnesses, saying Combs’ concerns did not trump the prosecutor’s right to free speech.
Combs was denied bail twice, first by the magistrate judge before whom he appeared and then by the judge assigned to the case.
That judge recused himself and the case was transferred to Subramanian.
In their heavily redacted court filing, Combs’ attorneys argue that the information they received from prosecutors “negates” the government’s claim that there is a second victim — in addition to “Victim 1” as identified in the indictment — and weakens the prosecution’s allegation of witness tampering.
“The new material shows that the government previously misrepresented the weight of the evidence. And undermines the government’s claim that Mr. Combs poses a danger,” Combs’ attorneys wrote.
In a filing Friday opposing the new bail request, prosecutors say Combs “reiterates the same arguments” rejected by the previous two judges and “defendant offers nothing new and material to warrant a third bail hearing.”
Specific examples of how Combs tried to convey messages to the public to further his plea of innocence are blacked out in the filing.
Prosecutors say Combs, after a judge ordered both sides to limit their public statements, ordered his family members to post on social media to influence public perception, including a video of his children celebrating Combs’ birthday.
“The (MDC) defendant then monitored analytics — ie, audience engagement — and specifically discussed with his family how to ensure the video had the desired effect on potential jurors in this case,” prosecutors said.
Combs’ inability to follow the rules in federal custody suggests he would not comply with bail conditions set by a judge, prosecutors said.
Combs’ team proposed a bail package similar to packages previously rejected by judges.
Along with the $50 million bail, signed by Combs, his mother, adult sons and others, they are proposing house arrest with GPS monitoring and 24-hour surveillance by private security.
Visitors would be limited to Combs’ lawyers and family members under the latest proposal.
In his previous motion for bail, Combs did not want to exclude employees, friends or others from visiting.
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