12:20 PM PT — Prosecutors are laying out their case for denying Diddy bail … and they say they’re worried he will intimidate witnesses and obstruct the case if he’s let out on bond.
What’s more, the feds say the witnesses they’ve interviewed have universally expressed fear … and prosecutors claim Diddy called his former artist Kelenna Harper 54 times the day before she made a statement about a recent lawsuit they were named in.
Prosecutors also say Diddy’s got the money and the means to be a flight risk … and the feds say he had what appeared to be narcotics in his hotel room where he got busted.
The feds say a pink powder that previously tested positive for ecstasy was found in Diddy’s hotel room … as well as other drugs.
Diddy just pled not guilty to all the charges against him.
The embattled mogul made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon in Lower Manhattan … where he entered a not-guilty plea, as expected. The more pressing issue for Diddy was whether or not the judge would let him out on bail.
Diddy offered to fork over a staggering $50 million as bond. He wouldn’t pay that amount in cash — instead, he offered his $48 million Miami mansion and his mother’s home as collateral … and said he was willing to wear a GPS monitor, and limit his travel to South Florida and the NYC area.
The court hearing is still going on and a judge has yet to rule on the issue of bail.
If convicted, Diddy’s facing a minimum sentence of 15 years, and a statutory maximum of life in prison. So, the stakes are incredibly high for him.
Prosecutors believe Diddy is a flight risk here and they don’t want him out on bail.
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It will be interesting to see how the judge rules.
Story developing …