Brendan Paul, a former basketball player at Syracuse University, was arrested Monday on drug charges in Miami.
The 25-year-old was accused of working as a drug "mule" for Sean "Diddy" Combs in a lawsuit filed against Combs at the end of February. It remains unknown whether Paul's arrest is linked to the wider sex trafficking investigation against Combs.
Paul played as a walk-on under head coach Jim Boeheim for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. Before joining the Orange, Paul played alongside Boehiem's son, Buddy, at Brewster Academy, according to the Syracuse athletics website.
At Syracuse, Paul appeared in nine games in his freshman season, averaging 0.9 minutes and recording zero points. During his sophomore season, Paul played in seven games, scoring just three points on 1-for-5 shooting.
After his sophomore year, Paul transferred to Fairmont State, a Division II school based in West Virginia. He spent two seasons with the Falcons, coming off the bench in both.
SN's MARCH MADNESS HQ
Live NCAA bracket news | TV schedule | Printable PDF
Brendan Paul arrest
Paul was booked on two separate drug charges Monday in Miami, according to an affidavit obtained by TMZ.
He was charged with one count of possession of suspected cocaine and one count of possession of a controlled substance. Both are felonies in the state of Florida.
Per TMZ, the arrest came after police intercepted Combs' plane at Opa Locka Airport in Miami.
Police were working alongside Homeland Security agents when the arrest was made, according to the affidavit. Officers found and tested suspected "contraband" in Paul's travel bags, per the affidavit.
Paul was released from jail on a $2,500 bond during his first court appearance on March 26, according to Miami-Dade County court records. He is scheduled to appear on April 24 in Miami-Dade Criminal Court.
There is no evidence that the drugs allegedly found in Paul's possession were connected to Diddy. But the arrest occurred while federal agents raided Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles as a part of sex trafficking probe, according to the Associated Press.
The arrest also comes after Paul was named as an associate of Combs in a sexual assault complaint against the music mogul.
Rodney Jones, a former producer and videographer for the rapper also known as "Lil Rod," claimed in a February lawsuit that he faced sexual harassment and abuse from Combs and was subjected to "unwanted advances" by his associates. In the same lawsuit, Jones accused Paul of being Combs' drug "mule," per Rolling Stone.
