World Courant
Federal brokers raided the houses of hip-hop mogul Sean Combs in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday, NBC Information reported, citing sources.
Division of Homeland Safety brokers got permission to look the properties underneath warrants issued in Manhattan federal court docket, months after Combs was accused of great crimes in a sequence of lawsuits. sexual misconductregulation enforcement sources stated.
A supply aware of the scenario informed NBC that three ladies and one man in New York have been interviewed by federal authorities in reference to an investigation into potential intercourse trafficking, sexual assault, solicitation and distribution of unlawful narcotics and firearms in reference to 54-year-old Combs, also referred to as ‘Diddy’, ‘Puff Daddy’ and ‘P. Diddy’.
Interviews are deliberate with three extra ladies, recognized as ‘Jane Does’.
“Earlier right this moment, Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) New York carried out regulation enforcement actions as a part of an ongoing investigation, with help from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our native regulation enforcement companions,” Homeland Safety stated in an announcement to NBC 4. Los Angeles.
Benjamin Brafman, a New York legal professional who has represented Combs, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from CNBC.
Combs has denied the civil allegations in opposition to him.
Douglas Wigdor, a New York legal professional for singer Cassie Ventura who rapidly settled a bombshell lawsuit in opposition to Combs final fall accusing him of rape and intercourse trafficking, stated he additionally represented a “Jane Doe” within the federal investigation into him.
“We are going to all the time assist regulation enforcement in prosecuting those that have damaged the regulation,” Wigdor stated in an announcement.
“Hopefully that is the start of a course of that can maintain Mr. Combs accountable for his wicked conduct,” the legal professional stated.
The raids come a month after a music producer named Rodney “Li Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court docket, alleging that Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him whereas he lived and traveled with Combs.
Tyrone Blackburn, an legal professional for Jones, and two ladies who’ve sued Combs, stated in an announcement to NBC Information: “We recognize right this moment’s raids by the federal authorities; nonetheless, right this moment’s occasions is not going to stop or delay my shoppers’ ongoing actions. and upcoming actions for justice and determination of the Combs RICO Enterprise.”
Combs was sued by Cassie in Manhattan federal court docket.
Cassie’s swimsuit acknowledged that Combs lured her into knowledgeable relationship in 2005, when she was 19 years previous, by signing her to his label, Unhealthy Boy Data, and inside a number of years seduced her right into a sexual relationship and set her “in had launched a way of life’. of extreme alcohol and substance abuse and required her to buy unlawful prescriptions to feed his personal addictions.
The lawsuit alleged that Combs raped Cassie in her dwelling after she tried to go away him, “blew up” one other man’s automotive after studying of his romantic curiosity in her and infrequently punched and kicked her.
Cassie and Combs agreed to settle her criticism on undisclosed phrases only a day after she filed the swimsuit.
However after that settlement, two different ladies, Liza Gardner and Joie Dickerson-Neal, accused Combs of sexually assaulting them in their very own lawsuits.
A fourth girl, recognized in lawsuits as Jane Doe, sued Combs in December, accusing him of gang-raping her 20 years in the past when she was 17, together with the previous president of his file label and a different individual.
Blackburn, the legal professional, represents Gardner and Jane Doe.
An legal professional for Dickerson-Neal declined to remark to NBC Information concerning the raids on Combs’ houses.
That is the newest information. Examine again later for updates.
