A former Syracuse basketball player found himself in legal trouble as he was arrested on two felony charges at a Miami airport on Monday, accused of acting as a purported “drug mule” for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Identified as Brendan Paul, according to Syracuse’s roster, the ex-walk-on guard for the program from 2018 to 2020 faced allegations of cocaine and controlled substance possession. Paul, 25, was released on Tuesday after posting a $2,500 bail, as revealed by Miami-Dade County court records accessed by Yahoo Sports.
While court records spelled Paul’s first name as “Brandon,” his mug shot, published by TMZ, matched his roster photo. The arrest took place at Opa Locka Airport before Paul could board Diddy’s private jet, with “suspected marijuana edibles” reportedly discovered in his luggage.
The arrest coincided with federal agents raiding Combs’ residences in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday, amidst ongoing lawsuits alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking against the 54-year-old rapper. However, details regarding the charges against Combs remained undisclosed, reported the New York Times.
Paul’s involvement surfaced in a February lawsuit filed by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, where his name appeared 11 times. Described as Combs’s “mule,” Paul allegedly acquired and distributed firearms and narcotics for the rapper. He also faces accusations of aiding Combs and his associates in alleged sex trafficking by paying sex workers in cash.
Paul, who attended Brewster Academy before Syracuse and later transferred to Hawken High School, is scheduled to appear in court on April 24. His collegiate basketball career, spanning from Syracuse to Fairmont State, saw minimal playing time, and he later expressed interest in basketball and music production on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.