Diddy Scores Legal Win As Lil Rod’s RICO Claims Dismissed By Judge

Diddy just scored a partial win in his sprawling tapestry of lawsuits. On Monday (Mar. 24), a judge dismissed claims that Sean Combs was not party to civil racketeering when he chose not to pay the producer for his work on Love Album. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken declared that Jones failed to show that any damage had been done to his “business or property.”

The federal judge stated that Combs’ failure to pay the producer had no “causal connection” to the RICO charges, Combs Global, or its former chief of staff, Kristina Khorram.

“[Combs’] alleged refusal to honor the contract with Jones is not itself a RICO predicate act, even if the contract breach resulted from Jones’s refusal to participate in Combs’s alleged racketeering scheme,” the judge wrote in their conclusion. “In sum, whether or not Jones has adequately alleged the existence of a RICO enterprise, he has not tied the activities of that enterprise to defendants’ breach of contract, or any other ‘business or property’ harm incurred by Jones.”

As for accusation the that Puffy committed a breach of contract, Judge Oetken pointed to New York state law, stating, “Any contract that cannot be performed within one year is unenforceable unless it is in writing.”

However, this courthouse win shouldn’t be celebrated by the Combs team for too long. Oetker ruled that Jones’ claims of sex trafficking against the mogul and Khorram could proceed.

Judge Oetken reasoned that Jones’ lawsuit met the “necessary requirements” to establish a claim that Diddy broke state sex trafficking laws. The judge asserted that Lil Rod‘s description of Combs’ allegedly groping his genitals and his anus and “forcing him to solicit sex workers and perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs” were enough to proceed.

“On numerous occasions, Combs allegedly recruited or enticed Jones to solicit and perform sex acts with commercial sex workers, as well as transported Jones across state and international borders in order to do so,” the judge wrote in his 31-page opinion. “Combs allegedly secured Jones’s compliance with his requests both by promising economic benefits that never materialized and by threatening Jones with physical restraint and harm.”

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Lil Rod’s lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, celebrated Judge Oetken’s decision, declaring, “A win is a win. The case is still alive. Diddy and [Khorram] better prepare for [the] deposition.”

Sean Combs has consistently fought back against Lil Rod’s claims, issuing numerous statements denying any wrongdoing.

“Mr. Jones’ lawsuit is pure fiction,” his legal team wrote in 2024 regarding claims that Puffy sexually assaulted Jones. “A shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement. There was no RICO conspiracy, and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked.  We look forward to proving — in a court of law — that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed.”

Khorram recently hit back at the claims against her, saying in a statement, “The idea that I could be accused of playing a role in — or even being a bystander to — the rape of anyone is beyond upsetting, disturbing, and unthinkable. That is not who I am, and my heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault. I am confident that the allegations against me will be proven to be untrue.”

Meanwhile, Diddy is currently behind bars, where he will stay through his trial which begins on May 5, 2025.