Monday, March 24, 2024, many of us watched curiously as federal agents raided music mogul and owner of Bad Boy Records Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Law enforcement sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that the searches were connected to alleged human trafficking.
While information is still unfolding, we do not know the particulars of the raid itself. However, we know that the raid was spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) New York, who confirmed to CNN that the raid was executed “as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.”
How did we get here? Let’s break it down.
November 2023: Casandra Ventura (aka Cassie) filed a lawsuit under the New York Adult Survivors Act in the Southern District of NY (SDNY) against Combs. This case was settled just one day after filing the complaint, but it lit the match for the firestorm of the sex trafficking allegations that Combs is now facing.
November 2023: Joie Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit against Combs. She alleges that Combs sexually assaulted her and recorded the encounters in 1991 while she was a college student. Two additional women also claim Combs assaulted them in the 1990s.
February 2024: Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a record producer on Combs’ latest album Love, filed a lawsuit against Combs in the Southern District of New York graphically depicting several of the same allegations mentioned by Ventura. The lawsuit also implicates Combs’ 30-year-old son Justin.
March 2024: In an interesting turn of events, 25-year-old Brendan Paul, was accused of being Combs’ mule by acquiring guns and drugs for Combs in a RICO conspiracy. Paul was arrested at Miami’s Opa-Locka Airport. For reasons unknown, Paul’s lawyer did not deny the allegations but vowed to fight all allegations in court.
To say that these complaints are explosive and that those allegedly involved should be very afraid is a massive understatement. Jones came with receipts as his complaint is filled with damning photos, screenshots and videos. However, it is important to note that Combs has vehemently denied all allegations and has vowed to fight this case in court.
Which brings us back to Monday’s raid. Why were Combs’ houses raided in Los Angeles and Miami by Homeland Security, a federal agency in New York?
At the time of Ventura’s lawsuits, there were uncorroborated rumblings that Combs was under criminal investigation by the SDNY. This arm of the U.S. Attorney’s office is responsible for cases brought in New York City and other surrounding counties which involve civil and criminal violations that would be filed in Federal Court. This would include any investigation into cases such as Combs’ alleged sex trafficking.
Despite the two raids, no formal charges have been filed against Combs, nor were any arrests made involving the individuals living or working at his properties. However, NBC News reported that the officers found guns at both properties and seized computers and other electronics.
Diddy’s lawyer released a statement on Tuesday saying, “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated… Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way.”
So what’s next?
From a legal perspective, one can assume that the SDNY is in fact building a case against Combs involving weapons charges and human trafficking. I would expect charges to be filed at some point against Combs and any other co-conspirators involved in these alleged crimes.
If not, ask yourself why would a federal investigative unit carry out such a heavy-handed simultaneous surprise raid on two coasts?
Was the magnitude of the search necessary? Probably not. But that doesn’t detract from the merits of the case(s) which seem to be pretty damning against one of the music industry’s biggest producers.
Even if a case is filed by the SDNY, under our justice system, Combs is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until he is found guilty by a jury of his peers.
But the damage may already be done in the court of public opinion.
Lisa Bonner, Esq. is a 27-year veteran attorney licensed to practice law in New York and California and can be found @lisabonner on Instagram and LinkedIn.
