Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, currently facing federal charges for sex trafficking, kidnapping, and racketeering, has decided to hire Alexandra Shapiro, the same attorney representing Sam ‘SBF’ Bankman-Fried.
Shapiro is a white-collar appellate lawyer known for her experience in high-profile cases.
She once clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and now, she’s working to defend Combs in what is shaping up to be a huge legal battle.
Combs and SBF have more in common than just Shapiro. Both men are being held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
After two judges rejected Combs’ $50 million bond offer, he was placed in the same dormitory as SBF.
Shapiro and SBF’s appeal
Shapiro has been representing SBF on appeal after he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Shapiro’s defense strategy includes a 102-page brief she filed last month, arguing that the trial judge unfairly excluded evidence that could have been beneficial to SBF.
It’s unclear whether SBF recommended Shapiro to Diddy, but the rapper’s decision to bring her onto his team is not a coincidence.
Whether her expertise will turn the tide in Combs’ favor remains to be seen, though with charges like sex trafficking, kidnapping, and racketeering on the table, she’s looking at a pretty serious fight.
Diddy’s life behind bars and denied bail
Prosecutors argue that releasing Diddy is a big risk to public safety. They claim he could tamper with witnesses or even get violent. As he tends to.
Court records show Diddy offered his Miami Star Island mansion as collateral, a property worth $48 million, and also pledged an additional $2 million from his mother’s Miami home.
The federal judge shot that down, labeling him a flight risk. The legal team then tried a house arrest option, asking the court to keep him at home under strict conditions, including no female visitors.
Again, the court denied this request, leaving Diddy stuck in jail alongside his new best buddy. Sources say Diddy was placed on routine suicide watch.
Meanwhile SBF’s crypto empire, once valued at tens of billions of dollars, collapsed under the weight of what the Judge called his “poorly executed” fraud.
