Sean `Puffy' Combs Acquitted Of Gun Possession And Bribery Charges

Jet, April 2, 2001

Hip-hop music mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs recently was acquitted of gun possession and bribery charges brought against him after a 1999 shooting in a crowded Manhattan nightclub that injured three people.

The jury acquitted the 31-year-old Combs of charges that he took an illegal handgun into a nightclub and tried to bribe his driver, Wardel Fenderson, to take the blame by allegedly offering a $50,000 diamond ring given to him by ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Combs' bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, also was acquitted of gun and bribery charges.

Both men had faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Rapper Jamaal "Shyne" Barrow, 21, a Combs protege who admitted firing a gun inside the nightclub, was convicted of assault, reckless endangerment and weapons charges. Tears rolled down Barrow's face as the verdict was read. He was jailed pending his April 16 sentencing, where he could face up to 25 years in prison.

Combs, nervously clutching a Bible, had to wait while 10 verdicts were announced for his two co-defendants before the court's attention turned to him.

When the verdict was read, Combs and his lead attorneys, Johnnie Cochran and Benjamin Brafman, hugged. He then went over to hug his mother, Janice Combs, who was there each day throughout the seven-week trial.

"This is a beautiful night following a nightmare of fifteen months. I thank God. I thank my family," Combs said to the media outside the New York State Supreme Court. "I'm so grateful for all those in the community who stood by me. I thank my lawyers, the jury and the judge. All I want to do is go home, hug, kiss and hold my children."

Said Cochran of Combs' acquittal of all charges, "This was a stunning, exhilarating victory. We thank God for it. Both Ben Brafman and I are honored to have had the opportunity to represent Sean Combs. We worked hard to secure this day--this was a fifteen month fight for a man wrongfully accused."

Combs was the key defense witness, spending a full day testifying that he never carried a weapon on the night of his arrest. He also denied offering his driver, Fenderson, a $50,000 bribe if Fenderson would take the gun possession rap for him.

Fenderson had testified that Combs tucked the black handgun into his waistband before heading over with Lopez to the hip-hop hot spot Club New York.

The trial stretched across seven weeks with the jurors hearing from 59 witnesses and examining more than 130 pieces of evidence.

Combs and Lopez arrived in Manhattan a little past midnight on Dec. 27 after a limousine trip from posh East Hampton, NY, where they had spent the day after Christmas at his $2.5 million home.

Combs testified that he had expected to party and do a little networking with other music industry types inside the nightclub one block west of Times Square.

But trouble began as Combs tried to exit the club shortly after 2:30 a.m. Someone bumped into Matthew "Scar" Allen, another club guest. And after an exchange of insults, Allen tossed a fistful of dollar bills at Combs, witnesses said.

Three to six shots then rang out, sending panicked club-goers diving to the floor for cover or charging toward the exits.

Three people were wounded: Natania Reuben was shot in her face; Robert Thompson and Julius Jones were hit in their shoulders. Reuben, a Brooklyn hairdresser, was the first witness to say Combs fired a gun, an assertion contradicted by defense witnesses.

Combs fled the club with Lopez, Jones and Fenderson in his Lincoln Navigator SUV. They were spotted 11 blocks away after Fenderson steered the SUV onto a sidewalk to evade a police car and then ran several red lights.

A 9 mm handgun police found in the SUV and a virtual twin weapon that was allegedly hurled out of the window during the chase led to gun possession charges against Combs and Jones. Lopez, initially arrested, was never charged.

The same charges were dropped against Fenderson when he agreed to testify against the others. Fenderson, who twice told the police that he owned the gun before recanting, also detailed the alleged bribe offer.

Lopez was never called to testify despite a premise to appear if Combs needed her. The singer and actress told a grand jury that she never saw Combs with a gun on the night of the shooting.

After the exhausting trial, Cochran said he plans to retire from criminal law.

"It's always good to go out with a win," he said. "What I went through made me know I've done this too many times. I'm going back into retirement in criminal cases."