It was a serious present of pressure: Dozens of brokers, some closely armed, descending on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ estates in Los Angeles and Miami.
Tv information helicopters captured the motion as Division of Homeland Safety brokers served a search warrant in what officers described as an investigation into alleged intercourse trafficking — claims the music legend denies.
Homeland Safety investigators yelled for these contained in the star’s Holmby Hills mansion to come back out with their palms within the air. Combs’ grownup sons later instructed their father they’d lasers pointed at them as they emerged from the house, sources instructed The Occasions. Combs himself was in Florida on the time.
However a lot stays unknown in regards to the case and the way shut authorities are to figuring out whether or not to file legal prices.
Here’s a rundown of what we all know and what we don’t:
What do we all know in regards to the searches?
Sources with data of the operation who requested anonymity as a result of they aren’t approved to debate it publicly mentioned it seems investigators looking Combs’ Holmby Hills house emptied safes, dismantled electronics and left papers strewn in some rooms. Federal brokers disabled his safety system and seized the arduous drive, a sources instructed The Occasions.
That tracks with what some authorized specialists anticipated investigators would search if attempting to construct a sex-trafficking case in opposition to the hip-hop mogul.
Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. County intercourse crimes prosecutor who’s now in personal legislation follow, mentioned investigators would possible search authorization to “seek for movies or images on any units linked to the goal … anyplace the place digital pictures could be present in connection to sexual conduct that will have been recorded.”
It’s unclear what was recovered within the bicoastal searches.
Federal authorities spent a number of hours at each properties. Sources mentioned Combs was in Miami on the time however was not at his Florida house when the raid occurred.
Nobody has been arrested in reference to the investigation, though two of Combs’ sons had been briefly detained on the Holmby Hills property, and Brendan Paul, a person described in a latest lawsuit in opposition to Combs as a confidant and drug “mule,” was arrested at a Miami airport on the similar time the raids had been being performed. Miami-Dade police took Paul, 25, into custody on suspicion of possession of cocaine and marijuana-laced sweet, information present.
The place does the case stand?
Sources instructed The Occasions that Combs is the topic of a sweeping inquiry into sex-trafficking allegations and sexual assault.
The investigation comes after 4 girls filed civil lawsuits accusing Combs of rape, assault and different abuses, courting again three many years. One of many allegations concerned a minor.
A supply accustomed to Homeland Safety’s legal inquiry mentioned investigators have interviewed a number of the folks tied to the sex-trafficking allegations within the lawsuits in opposition to Combs.
“They’ve [in the Combs case] satisfied a number of federal magistrates they’d sufficient possible trigger for a number of search warrants,” mentioned Meghan Blanco, a protection lawyer who has dealt with sex-trafficking circumstances. “Given the scope of the investigation, it appears they’re additional alongside than most investigations.”
Gorin mentioned the allegations involving a minor could possibly be a key focus within the inquiry.
If a minor is moved throughout state traces for the aim of intercourse, “that’s sufficient for a minimum of an argument … of intercourse trafficking as a result of someone underage can’t consent,” Gorin mentioned.
“Intercourse trafficking for adults often entails some form of coercion or different restraints,” he mentioned, and could be more durable to show. Prosecutors would want to indicate you “inspired someone to interact in sexual exercise for cash or another inducement.”
What’s Diddy’s camp saying?
Aaron Dyer, one in every of Combs’ legal professionals, on Tuesday known as the raids a “witch hunt” and criticized how they had been performed.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level pressure as search warrants had been executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer mentioned in a press release. “This unprecedented ambush — paired with a sophisticated, coordinated media presence — results in a untimely rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing greater than a witch hunt primarily based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There was no discovering of legal or civil legal responsibility with any of those allegations.”
Sources in Combs’ camp who requested anonymity say the star stays within the U.S. and authorities haven’t taken his passport. They mentioned Combs had been scheduled to depart by aircraft Monday for a spring break trip together with his school-age daughters, however opted to delay the journey after studying of the searches.
