An examination of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal probe in greater detail

TFD – Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, is under a federal investigation for sex trafficking, following multiple lawsuits and disturbing allegations. The probe, led by Homeland Security Investigations, includes charges of sexual assault, drug use, and money laundering. As investigators prepare to present evidence to a grand jury, the music mogul’s empire faces unprecedented scrutiny.

His life has drastically changed in the months since singer Cassie Ventura launched a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Once a cherished figure, he had the power to start recording careers, prosperous fashion and alcohol brands, and even a voting movement. He went from being an intern at a record label to creating his own music empire at Bad Boy Records.

Those seem to be the days gone.

Ventura accused Combs of years of abuse during their relationship and of raping her in 2018. Her claim was resolved in November. He has been listed in seven other lawsuits filed in the last six months, all of which accuse him of sexual assault and other criminal acts. Combs has not addressed every charge, but he has angrily refuted claims from numerous litigation proceedings.

Following CNN’s release of a 2016 surveillance video featuring Combs physically abusing Ventura, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declared that the event, which they called “extremely disturbing,” could not be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations.

However, the footage might be used as proof in a federal probe against Combs and claims of sex trafficking that is still underway. Two people familiar with the investigation have told CNN that investigators are getting ready to present Combs’ allegations before a federal grand jury in New York.

This suggests that Combs may be the target of an indictment by the US Justice Department. According to one of the sources who spoke with CNN, authorities are “digging deeper” into the legal proceedings in an effort to find potential witnesses and evidence against the celebrity.

According to CNN, federal authorities are also looking into claims of drug use and money laundering.

“It’s much bigger than just these lawsuits,” stated a source who was informed about the investigation’s scope.

Here’s a closer look at the information that has been made public thus far on the federal lawsuit.

The looks

According to a senior federal law enforcement official briefed on the case, Combs is the target of a federal probe conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the lead investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security. This is why authorities searched Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles on March 25. The investigation stems from many of the same sexual assault allegations put forth in the civil lawsuits, according to a second law enforcement source familiar with the searches.

HSI is in charge of looking into threats and transnational crimes such as drug smuggling, terrorism, human trafficking, and other organized crime.

A representative for HSI pointed out that the investigation is still ongoing but declined to comment on the grand jury’s presence.

Combs’s attorney took issue with the way the searches were carried out.

Combs’ lawyer, Aaron Dyer, told CNN at the time that “there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences.” “The excessive use of force and animosity displayed by the authorities, as well as the treatment of his children and staff, are unacceptable.”

At Combs’ Los Angeles residence, two of his adult sons, Justin, 30, and Christian, 26, were momentarily handcuffed and detained during the execution of the search warrant. They received no charges or arrests.

Misa Hylton, a stylist, is Justin’s mother, and she was not happy with the way her son and his sibling were handled.

In an April social media post, she said, “The overzealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable.” “These boys would not have been treated with the same brutality if they had been the sons of a non-Black celebrity. It is abhorrent to try to scare and degrade these defenseless young Black men.

Hylton is not the biological mother of Christian Combs. He is the son of the late Kim Porter, who had twin daughters, D’Lila and Jessie, who are now 17 years old, with Sean Combs.

Possible proof

The raids on Combs’ homes came weeks after a lawsuit filed against him by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer and videographer for the music mogul. While working on Combs’ most recent record, “Love,” in 2022 and 2023, Jones accuses Combs and others of racketeering, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. Jones also alleges Combs did not compensate him for his music producing work.

Ventura also accused Combs of engaging in sex trafficking, claiming that she coerced her into doing different sex acts with male sex workers by threatening to use physical force.

“A choice to resolve a legal dispute, particularly in 2023, does not imply a confession of misconduct,” Combs’ lawyer Ben Brafman declared following Ventura’s settlement.

Combs’ other lawyer refuted Jones’ accusations, labeling them as “lies.”

“His careless name-dropping about things that are purely made up and never happened is just an obvious ploy to make headlines. When the lawsuit was filed, attorney Shawn Holley told CNN, “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”

When authorities conduct raids, they typically look for proof that the law has been broken. Computers, cellphones, and documents are a few examples of items that are frequently confiscated. Ventura and Jones both asserted that there is video footage of some of the alleged crimes.

Right now, federal officials are allegedly in possession of film that was shot inside Combs’ newly searched homes, according to a source who spoke with CNN. This puts potential video evidence front and center. It’s unclear if detectives got the footage from people they’ve been interviewing, or if it was taken during the raids.

A source told CNN, “They are reaching out to individuals that they discovered on the recordings.”

According to one source, Combs is alleged to have mistreated at least one male sex worker who has been questioned as part of the investigation. The insider further stated that this person appeared in video that federal investigators had.

Constructing a “bulletproof” defense

Despite the fact that Combs is not currently facing federal criminal charges, law enforcement officials have stated that, depending on the evidence uncovered, the Justice Department’s successful 2022 prosecution of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly may serve as a template for Combs’s current sex trafficking investigation.

Kelly’s efforts over years to use his popularity to ensnare people he sexually abused led to federal agents with HSI winning a conviction on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges against Kelly.

Targeting so-called criminal enterprises, the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, is a statute that carries severe penalties that prosecutors may use as leverage to pressure defendants into accepting plea bargains or to turn over potential co-conspirators.

Although there is no established timeline for potential federal charges against Combs, federal investigators would need to put in more effort to establish the components of any conspiracy if they approached his sex trafficking inquiry as an attempt to shed light on a criminal operation involving others.

According to Elie Honig, a CNN Senior Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor, “when prosecutors charge RICO, they have to prove more to make their case—that a criminal enterprise exists, that the defendant was a member of it, and that the crimes are related to that enterprise.” However, it also provides prosecutors with an effective weapon to dismantle significant criminal enterprises.

Investigators are taking their time and being meticulous to make sure that, in the event that an indictment is made, it is “bulletproof,” a source close to CNN told CNN.

Contributors to this story were Sandra Gonzalez, John Miller, Elizabeth Wolfe, Eric Levenson, Denise Royal, Holmes Lybrand, and Carlos Suarez of CNN.