Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Alleged Drug Mule Brendan Paul's Charges Dropped

12/17/2024 07:45 PM

Paul was arrested in March for possession of cocaine and marijuana

Charges against Brendan Paul, Sean "Diddy" Combs' alleged drug mule, have been dropped.

Paul's attorney, Brian Bieber, confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Dec. 17: "Mr. Paul's case was formally dismissed today - in its entirety." Paul had previously entered a plea deal in May after his March arrest for cocaine and marijuana possession.

"Brendan accepted the prosecutor's offer to permit his entry into the diversion program which, after completion, the case against him will be dismissed in its entirety," Bieber said at the time in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The bond was set at $2,500 and he was bailed out on March 26.

Bieber confirmed Tuesday that "Mr. Paul completed the pretrial program."

In April, Paul was also charged with felony cocaine possession amid the sexual trafficking lawsuits filed against Diddy, 55.

Related: A Timeline of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sexual Assault Allegations and Arrest

Paul, who had previously played basketball at Syracuse University, entered a not-guilty plea in April via his attorney.

Combs' former producer and videographer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones alleged in a lawsuit that Diddy "sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him" for over a year. He also claimed that Paul was Combs' "mule," who "acquired" and "distributed" "drugs and guns" for the rapper.

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The charges being dropped for Paul is the latest chapter of the saga concerning Diddy's alleged federal sex crimes. Diddy's homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March amid sex trafficking lawsuits.

Diddy was arrested in a Manhattan hotel and charged with the counts of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to the indictment obtained by PEOPLE in September.

"Between 2008 and the present, Combs abused, threatened, and coerced women and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes," a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York states.

He has been behind bars since at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Related: Judge Rules on Diddy's Claim that Feds Leaked Infamous Cassie Video to CNN

Diddy has denied all accusations made against him in a blanket statement shared in December 2023 and obtained by PEOPLE at the time. "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy," he said.

"Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday," Diddy added.

The disgraced rapper has been denied bail three times and will remain in prison until his trialbegins in May 2025. If convicted, Diddy could face decades in prison.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.