Mega Edition: RICO and the Vanishing Serial: The Firearm at the Center of the Diddy Trial (7/20/2025)

Sean “Diddy” Combs now faces heightened jeopardy in his federal criminal trial after prosecutors introduced evidence that he possessed an AR‑15-style firearm with an obliterated serial number. Under federal law, merely possessing a firearm with a defaced serial qualifies as a serious gun offense, and is often seen as nearly indisputable, since the prosecution must only show that the weapon exists and the serial was removed.   This piece of evidence not only adds a standalone weapons charge but also bolsters the government’s RICO (racketeering) case, as it ties directly to allegations that Combs’ so-called “enterprise” used threats, weapons, and violence (including firearms) to facilitate sex trafficking and intimidate witnesses.


Moreover, introducing this gun serves to strengthen the prosecution's narrative that Combs ran a criminal enterprise. The indictment alleges that he wielded multiple weapons with obliterated serial numbers and orchestrated “freak‑offs”—sex trafficking events fueled by coercion, drugs, and violence, sometimes under armed threats.   The gun evidence directly supports those claims, potentially making it easier for the jury to see a pattern of illegal behavior rather than isolated incidents. In short, this firearm not only risks an additional conviction but dramatically increases Diddy’s legal exposure by reinforcing the racketeering, coercion, and intimidation elements of the government’s case—all of which carry significant sentencing consequences if he’s found guilty.


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