A Closer Look at the Federal Investigation of Sean “Diddy” Combs | CNN

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A few months after singer Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, her life is very different.

The man who went from being a record label intern to building his own music empire at Bad Boy Records, was once a beloved figure who held enough influence to launch recording careers, successful fashion and spirits lines, and even a voting movement.

Those days seem to be over.

In her now-settled complaint filed in November, Ventura accused Combs of raping her in 2018 and years of abuse during their relationship. Over the past six months, he has been named in seven other lawsuits in which he has been accused of sexual misconduct and other illegal activities. Combs has vehemently denied the allegations in numerous civil lawsuits, but has not responded to all of the allegations.

After CNN released 2016 surveillance video showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the incident they described as “extremely disturbing” was outside the statute of limitations for filing charges. prosecutions.

But the video could become evidence in an ongoing federal investigation related to Combs and sex trafficking allegations. CNN has learned that investigators are preparing to bring Combs’ accusers before a federal grand jury in New York, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

This indicates that the US Department of Justice is moving towards a possible indictment of Combs. Authorities are “deepening” the civil lawsuits and searching them for potential witnesses and evidence against the star, one of the sources told CNN.

Federal investigators are also looking into allegations of money laundering and illegal drugs, CNN has learned.

“This is much bigger than just these prosecutions,” said one of the sources familiar with the scope of the investigation.

Here’s a closer look at what’s been revealed so far about the federal case.

Authorities searched Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles on March 25 as he is the target of a federal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the primary investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , according to a senior federal official. a law enforcement official was notified of the matter. The investigation stems from many of the same sexual assault allegations made in the civil lawsuits, according to a second law enforcement source familiar with the searches.

HSI is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, including human trafficking, terrorism, drug trafficking and other organized criminal activities.

An HSI spokesperson declined to comment on the existence of a grand jury, but noted that the investigation was still ongoing.

A lawyer for Combs objected to the way the searches were conducted.

“There was an excessive use of military force when search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Aaron Dyer, Combs’ attorney, said in a statement to CNN at the time. “There is no excuse for the excessive display of force and hostility by the authorities or for the manner in which its children and employees were treated.”

Two of Combs’ adult sons, Justin, 30, and Christian, 26, were arrested and briefly handcuffed during the execution of the search warrant at his Los Angeles mansion. They were neither arrested nor charged.

Justin’s mother, stylist Misa Hylton, was also outraged at the way her son and brother were treated.

“The overzealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable,” she wrote in a social media post in April. “If these were the sons of a non-black celebrity, they would not have been treated with the same aggression. The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable! »

Hylton is not Christian Combs’ biological mother. He is the son of the late Kim Porter with whom Sean Combs also shared 17-year-old twin daughters, D’Lila and Jessie.

The searches at Combs’ home came weeks after a lawsuit filed against him by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, the music mogul’s former producer and videographer. Jones accuses Combs and others of racketeering, sexual assault and sex trafficking in 2022 and 2023 while Jones was working on Combs’ latest album, “Love.” Jones also alleges that Combs did not compensate him for his music production work.

Ventura also accused Combs of sex trafficking, allegedly forcing her to engage in various sexual acts with male sex workers through threats of violence.

“A decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing,” Ben Brafman, Combs’ attorney, said when Ventura’s lawsuit was settled.

Another lawyer for Combs denied Jones’ allegations and called his claims “lies.”

“His reckless naming of events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen are nothing more than a transparent attempt to grab headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable evidence that his claims are complete lies,” attorney Shawn Holley told CNN during the lawsuit filing.

Authorities carrying out searches usually look for evidence confirming that laws have been broken. Examples of what is often seized include computers, cell phones and documents. Jones and Ventura claimed there was video evidence of some of the alleged crimes.

Potential video evidence is currently at the center of the debate, as a source told CNN that federal agents are in possession of video taken inside Combs’ recently searched residences. It is unclear whether the video was seized during the searches or whether investigators obtained videos from the people they interviewed.

“They are contacting people they found on the recordings,” a source told CNN.

At least one sex worker, who claims to have been a victim of Combs, was questioned during the investigation, a source said. The source added that this individual was seen on images in the possession of federal investigators.

Although no federal criminal charges have been filed against Combs, law enforcement sources have indicated that the Justice Department’s successful effort to prosecute disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly in 2022 could serve as a model for the investigation current sex trafficking case against Combs, based on the evidence uncovered. .

In the case involving Kelly, federal HSI agents obtained a conviction on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges stemming from Kelly’s efforts over the years to use his fame to entrap the victims he sexually abused.

The federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – also known as RICO – is a law that targets so-called criminal enterprises and provides heavy penalties that can also serve as leverage for prosecutors seeking to overthrow criminal enterprises. -potential conspirators or encourage the accused. to accept plea deals.

There is no known timetable for possible federal charges against Combs, however, approaching his sex trafficking investigation as an effort to illuminate a criminal enterprise involving others would require a more robust effort by federal agents to prove the elements of any conspiracy.

“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 connected to that enterprise,” said Elie Honig, senior legal analyst. from CNN. and former federal prosecutor. “But it also gives prosecutors a powerful tool to stop large criminal operations. »

A source told CNN that investigators were thorough and took their time to ensure an indictment, if there was one, was “ironclad.”

CNN’s Sandra Gonzalez, John Miller, Elizabeth Wolfe, Eric Levenson, Denise Royal, Holmes Lybrand and Carlos Suarez contributed to this report.