Rapper Sean Combs, also known as “P. Diddy”, has had his homes in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California raided by the Department of Homeland Security as part of an ongoing investigation under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.
These raids follow the arrest and prosecution of financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 for allegedly trafficking young women and pandering to some of the most powerful people in the world, before he died in prison of an apparent suicide under circumstances widely considered suspicious. Epstein’s accomplice, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was prosecuted and convicted in 2022 for aiding and abetting Epstein in his nefarious activities. The proceedings and details of Maxwell’s trial were withheld from the public under circumstances many people consider equally suspicious.
Dubbed “the Epstein of the music industry”, Combs stands accused of racketeering, grooming of minors and adults, solicitation, and officials have indicated that other allegations may be coming. Footage of the raids were posted to social media, and show Combs’s sons Justin and King being placed in handcuffs. There has been no conformation whether Diddy himself was at either location at the time of the raids.
The armed raids came as the music star and producer is battling four lawsuits alleging abuse of young women spanning decades. The rapper denied these allegations in a February 20th court filing in one of the suits which alleges that he brought a teenager across state lines for the purpose of assaulting her in conjunction with fellow producer Harve Pierre and a third man, who has yet to be identified.
According to the filing in the Southern District of New York, the rapper did not witness, participate in, nor was ever aware of any misconduct of any nature.
At the time of this writing, it is unclear if there is a connection between the raids themselves, or their timing, and the lawsuits currently being litigated. Further developments are expected soon.
