Featured Columnist IVApril 24, 2024
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Former Syracuse University basketball player Brendan Paul pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a cocaine possession charge.
According to Christian Colón of NBC 6, Paul’s attorney entered the not guilty plea on Paul’s behalf in a Miami-Dade County, Florida, courtroom after the 25-year-old former Orange guard was arrested on March 25 at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Paul, an alleged associate of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, was also initially charged with possession of a controlled substance, but that charge was dropped.
Diddy is facing a civil lawsuit in which it is alleged that he engaged in sex trafficking and the illegal distribution of narcotics and firearms, and Paul was named in the lawsuit as being a “mule” for Diddy when it came to the sale and movement of drugs and guns, per NBC 6.
Per Colón, Diddy was also seen at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on March 25 when Paul was arrested. At that same time, Diddy’s homes in Miami Beach and Los Angeles were being raided by Homeland Security agents.
Diddy is the subject of several civil lawsuits and is under federal criminal investigation.
Miami-Dade Police said in an arrest affidavit that Paul was taken into custody on March 25 because he was in possession of cocaine and marijuana-laced candy.
Prior to his alleged association with Diddy, Paul was best known for playing two seasons of college basketball at Syracuse.
Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Paul arrived at Syracuse University in 2018 after starring at Hawken High School in Cleveland and Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
In two seasons with the Orange, Paul appeared in 16 games and averaged 0.2 points and 0.1 rebounds per contest, while shooting 20.0 percent from the field.
