'Diddy' trial is highest-profile case so far for new unit of civil rights prosecutors

By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - The sex-trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, which kicks off on Monday, marks the highest-profile case so far for a nascent group in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office focusing on criminal prosecution of civil rights violations.

Since its launch in 2022 by then-Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, the unit has brought 21 criminal cases with allegations including antisemitic hate crimes, excessive use of force by law enforcement, sexual abuse of a minor, and environmental negligence by a construction contractor.

The nine-lawyer group, called the Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division, is separate from a longstanding Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. That unit generally brings civil lawsuits against companies and local government entities, including a lawsuit against New York City to try to reduce violence in jails.

The new criminal division unit has a solid record. It has secured 15 guilty pleas and one trial conviction, with two defendants acquitted at trial, according to a Reuters review of press releases and court records.

Ten defendants charged by the unit, including Combs, have cases pending.

The trial of Combs, who is known for elevating hip-hop in American culture, will bring more international attention to the unit's work than previous cases. Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty last September to forcing women to participate in sexual performances.

Three months after Combs was charged, Williams announced sex-trafficking charges against Oren Alexander and Tal Alexander, the cofounders of a luxury U.S. real estate brokerage, and their brother Alon Alexander. All three have pleaded not guilty.

"There has been additional resources and time and attention" devoted to sex trafficking, Williams told reporters at the time.

Williams, appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, has said he formed the unit to centralize responsibility for sex-trafficking cases, which were previously spread across different units, and to address a spike in hate crimes.

Antisemitic threats and violence have been the subject of six of the unit's cases. On Wednesday, the unit charged Tarek Bazrouk, 20, with hate crimes for allegedly assaulting Jewish individuals, including two Columbia University students, during protests over the war in Gaza. Bazrouk has pleaded not guilty.

Both that indictment and additional criminal charges against the Alexander brothers unveiled on Thursday were approved by Jay Clayton, Republican President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York.

"I was immediately impressed by the speed and impact of the Civil Rights Unit’s work," Clayton, who took office on April 22, told Reuters in a statement. "I continue to be heartened by the skill and determination of this group of talented prosecutors."

VICTIMS CAN BE HESITANT

While the unit handles a broad range of cases, many involve alleged abuse of power, whether by a wealthy individual like Combs or an armed security guard like Jimmy Solano-Arias, who was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge stemming from his sexual abuse of an asylum-seeker at the federal building where he worked.

"The skill sets you need to handle those types of cases are similar," said Sarah Krissoff, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan and current partner at law firm Cozen O'Connor.

The prosecutors on Combs' case include Maurene Comey, who secured the conviction of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on sex-trafficking charges at trial, and Mitzi Steiner, who charged Solano-Arias.

Victims of sexual violence can be hesitant to come forward, and prosecutors who specialize in such cases may be more effective, said Rachel Maimin, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

"It's not the same as working with victims of other violent crimes," said Maimin, a partner at law firm Lowenstein Sandler.