Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Alleged Drug Mule Brendan Paul Charged with Felony Cocaine Possession
Paul was arrested last month on cocaine and marijuana possession charges
Sean Diddy Combs’ alleged drug mule Brendan Paul has been charged with felony cocaine possession following his arrest last month amid federal sex trafficking accusations the hip-hop mogul is facing. Paul’s additional felony charge for marijuana-laced candy has since been dropped, per the court documents.
PEOPLE can confirm that Paul’s attorney Brian Bieber entered a plea of not guilty in a “very brief” hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building in Miami, Fla. on behalf of the 25-year-old on Wednesday, April 24.
“We will be dealing with this case in the courtroom, not the court of public opinion,” the lawyer said in a statement to PEOPLE. The next hearing will take place on May 17.
Paul, a former Syracuse University basketball player, was arrested on Monday, March 27 on cocaine and marijuana possession felony charges.
According to an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, he was taken into custody at Opa-Locka airport by Miami-Dade police working alongside Homeland Security agents, who raided Combs’ two homes around the same time that day. The affidavit claimed that Paul was arrested after he was caught with suspected cocaine and marijuana in his travel bags.
He had previously been named in a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed by Combs’ former producer and videographer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, in which Jones claimed Paul was Combs’ “mule” who “acquires” and “distributes” his “drugs and guns.” The bond was set at $2,500.
However, his arrest did not appear to be connected to the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist, 54.
In a statement to PEOPLE on March 27, attorney Bieber said, “We do not plan on trying this case in the media — all issues will be dealt with in court.”
At the time, the Miami-Dade police department had no comment on the matter.
On Monday, March 24, Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by federal agents amid sex trafficking allegations filed in two lawsuits against him. As news of the raids broke, FOX11 broadcasted aerial footage of the Bad Boy Records founder’s two sons Justin Combs, 30, and Christian ‘King’ Combs, 26, handcuffed outside their Beverly Hills home and speaking with authorities.
During that time, Combs’ private jet reportedly landed in Antigua, while he himself was spotted at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport with Paul.
A Homeland Security Investigations representative commented on the matter in a statement to PEOPLE after the raids.
“Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available,” said the representative.
Combs’ lawyer, attorney Aaron Dyer, said the raids were “a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, he said, “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”
