MIAMI – A man described in a recent federal lawsuit as a “mule” for Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to a single drug charge.
Attorneys for Brendan Paul appeared in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning for his arraignment. Paul was not present.
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“We entered Brendan’s plea of not guilty in Court today. We will be dealing with this case in the courtroom, not the court of public opinion,” attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement to Local 10 News.
Paul, 25, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was arrested in March at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport while federal agents raided the music mogul’s Miami Beach and Los Angeles properties as part of what sources said was a sex trafficking probe.
Paul was initially facing two felony drug possession charges after Miami-Dade police said they found suspected cocaine and marijuana candy in his luggage, however the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office dropped the marijuana charge.
According to the lawsuit filed against Diddy by music producer Rodney Jones, Paul “acquires and distributes” drugs and guns for Combs. It also alleges that he is among a group of people “responsible for ensuring payment to sex workers in cash.”
Paul’s arrest report states that he “had the contraband inside of his personal travel bags, which he claimed prior to being searched.”
The report, which states that Miami-Dade police were working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, does not mention Combs, who has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Paul’s next court hearing is scheduled for May 17.