Sean ‘Diddy Combs’: A federal grand jury may soon hear from accusers

CNN
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Federal investigators are preparing to bring the accusers of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs before a federal grand jury, two sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN – signaling that the US Department of Justice is moving towards a possible indictment of Combs.

Potential witnesses have been told by investigators that they may be required to testify before a federal grand jury in New York, according to a source. Bringing the individuals who filed civil lawsuits against Combs before a grand jury would mark a significant escalation in the government’s ongoing investigation involving the producer and founder of Bad Boy Records.

Combs has been named in eight civil lawsuits since November – seven directly accusing him of sexual assault. One of eight lawsuits filed by former girlfriend Cassie Ventura has been settled. Another lawsuit accused his son Christian Combs of sexual assault, and Sean Combs is accused of aiding and abetting.

A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) declined to comment on the existence of a grand jury, but noted that the investigation was still ongoing.

These potential witnesses have not yet been prepared to testify, both sources told CNN, warning that HSI investigators are still gathering evidence and interviewing potential sources of information as part of their federal investigation into Combs.

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

Grand juries composed of ordinary citizens are essential tools used by prosecutors, providing both an investigative function by approving the subpoena of documents and witnesses, and a vote on whether to criminally charge the suspects. The use of a grand jury indicates that a particular case has moved beyond the preliminary stage, during which investigators typically evaluate whether possible violations of the law are suspected of having been committed.

Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in March. At that time, CNN reported that the rapper and entrepreneur was the target of a federal investigation by a Department of Homeland Security human trafficking crimes team, and that the ongoing probe was focusing on sex trafficking, according to police sources.

Now, other sources have told CNN that the majority of plaintiffs who have filed civil lawsuits against Combs have been interviewed by federal investigators.

Combs has vehemently denied the allegations in numerous civil lawsuits, but has not responded to all of the allegations. In December 2023, after four lawsuits were filed against him, Combs posted a fierce denial on his social media, writing that “sickening allegations” had been made by accusers “looking for a quick paycheck.” “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the horrible things alleged. »

CNN previously reported in March that a law enforcement source said the investigation stemmed from numerous sexual assault allegations made in several civil lawsuits against Combs. CNN has learned that the scope of the investigation is much broader, focusing on sex trafficking, money laundering and illegal drugs.

In addition to human trafficking, HSI also investigates drug trafficking and other organized criminal activities.

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

Federal investigators are now “digging deeper” and some of the accusers have been questioned multiple times, a source said. A second source corroborates this current state of the investigation.

Accusers who spoke to federal agents during the investigation have actively cooperated with investigators, with some turning over evidence they believe could be helpful to the investigation, a source said. Investigators are also interviewing new people, including corroborating witnesses for the accusers.

Federal agents are in possession of video taken inside Combs’ recently searched residences, a source said. 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 interviewed during the investigation, a source said, adding that the individual was seen on footage in the possession of federal investigators.

In some suits against Combs, accusers claimed they were informed, after the fact, that they had been recorded having sex without giving consent to be filmed. Combs has not responded to this specific accusation, but he denied all alleged wrongdoing in a blanket denial he issued in December 2023.

In some civil suits, Combs is accused of drugging several accusers. In the two most recent lawsuits filed against Combs last week, former fashion student April Lampros and former model Crystal McKinney both accused Combs of drugging them. In Lampros’ lawsuit, she claims Combs forced her to take ecstasy and then asked her to have sex with one of his former girlfriends before raping her.

Combs has not responded to CNN’s requests for comment since these two lawsuits were filed.

Combs was also accused in a civil suit filed last November of “intentionally drugging” and sexually assaulting Joi Dickerson-Neal in 1991, when she was a student. Although her legal team filed a motion to dismiss parts of that lawsuit, Dickerson-Neal also accused Combs of “revenge porn,” claiming Combs secretly recorded the sexual assault. A few days later, a friend revealed to Dickerson-Neal that he had seen it, according to his claim.

Combs’ team did not respond to specific allegations of drugs or secret recordings, but a spokesperson at the time said the claim was “made up and not credible,” discrediting the accusations as “a simple money grab. In their motion to dismiss, which is still pending, Combs’ lawyers called Dickerson-Neal’s allegations “false, offensive and salacious.”