When COMBS’ authority or reputation was threatened by the possibility of negative publicity or legal or law enforcement action against him, including in or about late 2023 following public allegations of COMBS’ crimes, COMBS and members and associates of the Enterprise pressured witnesses and victims, including through attempted bribery, to stay silent and not report what they experienced or knew to law enforcement. On phone calls, COMBS and other members and associates of the Enterprise, among other things, provided these victims and witnesses with a false narrative of events in an effort to conceal COMBS’ crimes. COMBS caused these calls to be recorded on at least two occasions.
Members and associates of the Combs Enterprise enabled COMBS’ control over victims by following his directions regarding financial payments to victims, advancing or suppressing the victims’ career opportunities, and acquiring the controlled substances COMBS used to keep the victims compliant. Members and associates of the Combs Enterprise at times witnessed COMBS’ violence toward the victims, or the victims’ injuries caused by Combs, without intervening. Instead, members and associates of the Combs Enterprise helped conceal the violence and abuse by, among other things, assisting COMBS in monitoring and preventing victims from leaving locations, such as hotels or COMBS’ residences. These occasions included instances in which a victim was required to remain in hiding-sometimes for several days at a time-to recover from injuries COMBS inflicted, without being publicly observed. Members and associates of the Combs Enterprise also assisted COMBS in locating and contacting victims who attempted to flee his abuse.