It's been three days since authorities raided the homes of Sean “Diddy” Combs, and although the music mogul has yet to be charged with a crime, he finds himself in trouble amid a federal sex trafficking investigation.
'I'd be very worried if it was Diddy,' Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Silva Megerditchian he tells Yahoo Entertainment. “Given the allegations that have surfaced since Cassie Ventura's civil case was resolved, I would be concerned and, more importantly, prepared for what is to come.”
Combs has been sued by at least five people who accuse the rapper of rape, assault and other disturbing misconduct. Some of the allegations date back to the 1990s. A source told NBC News that three women and one man have been interviewed by federal officials in New York “in connection with allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and solicitation and distribution of narcotics and illegal firearms.
Diddy proclaimed his innocence through his attorney and intends to fight the allegations. Yahoo spoke with three legal experts who outline the difficult road ahead.
Department of Homeland Security's involvement should not be 'taken lightly'
The New York Department of Homeland Security Investigations confirmed to Yahoo that it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.” Combs is reportedly the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation. Lawyer Judith Saunderswhich specializes in litigating cases involving sexual abuse and misconduct, emphasizes that Homeland Security's focus is “the security of America's borders” and explains how that relates to the case.
“There are allegations of sex trafficking in the investigation, and although these allegations have not been proven, human trafficking across state and/or international borders may have triggered the involvement of Homeland Security,” said ASK partner Saunders, with headquarters in New York. LLP, he says. “Executing a search warrant is an extreme government action that touches on important aspects of the United States Constitution. By raiding Combs' homes, the government has begun the first public phase of determining whether any federal law Combs may have violated “.
Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami were thoroughly searched by authorities on Monday.
“Any time the federal government participates in a raid, it should never be taken lightly,” Megerditchian adds.
'There is evidence that a federal crime has been committed'
A judge granted search warrants for Combs' two properties, so San Diego criminal defense attorney says Elmira Yousufithat means there is “evidence” of federal crimes.
“Here the agents were authorized to search for documents, phones and other electronic devices,” he says. “Based on recent civil lawsuits against Diddy, there have been allegations that these sex-related crimes were recorded. It is very likely that federal agents will want to review his devices and see if they can find evidence of this.”
Several of the civil lawsuits against Combs claim that the businessman filmed various sexual encounters.
The electronic devices were seized on March 25, ABC News confirmed, while NBC News cited three sources who claim firearms were found during the searches.
Were the raids an “excessive” use of force?
In a statement Tuesday, Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, called the raids “a gross excessive use of force on a military level.” (“There is no excuse for the excessive display of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way their children and employees were treated,” the statement read, in part.)
In Megerditchian's opinion, he does not believe that law enforcement made “an excessive show of force at all.”
““It is the normal course of conduct when a search warrant is exercised,” he says.
“Whenever the feds conduct a raid, the people involved generally consider it excessive. Officers have been known to disorder homes, detain innocent people, including children, and handcuff them, either for the officers' safety or for control of the situation.,” She continues. “Agents will tear apart homes looking for evidence that the warrant specifies. Unfortunately, what Diddy and her family went through is no different than anyone else facing a federal investigation.”
Did Diddy really flee the country? Does that matter?
The music entrepreneur was photographed at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport hours after the raids occurred. (Yahoo contacted Combs' attorney but did not receive a response.) Conflicting reports emerged about Combs' whereabouts, whether In the USA or the Caribbean. Yousufi says it doesn't really matter.
“If Diddy left the country, that wouldn't come back to haunt him unless the government could prove that he knew his homes were about to be searched, or that he was going to face criminal charges and was leaving to avoid prosecution,” he said. he says he. “Search warrants of this caliber are usually carried out secretly so as not to allow anyone to attempt to destroy or alter evidence, or to be prepared for federal agents when they conduct their search. It is unlikely that Diddy knew when this would happen, if at all, so I had no reason to believe that I had to escape the country.”
What happens next?
Diddy has not yet been charged with a crime and for now is allowed to “live his life normally,” Megerditchian says.
“This likely means that, although he or his associates are currently under investigation, the government has not collected enough evidence to arrest him personally at this time. I suspect that the government will conduct further investigations and gather more evidence; this will likely include interviews with witnesses ., plus evidence gathering from electronic devices and a variety of other tools that law enforcement uses to develop the evidence necessary to build a case, but the simple truth is that every time the federal government is involved in an investigation, There's probably something more to come,” she adds.
But, as Yousufi points out, his freedom and reputation are at stake.
“Even if the investigation does not lead to an arrest or criminal charges, the damage to your reputation may be irreparable. Worse yet, if the investigation produces incriminating evidence supporting sex trafficking, then you not only face the loss of your reputation, but also the probable loss of their freedom,” he explains. “Based on the allegations arising from the series of civil lawsuits against him recently, it is not outrageous to believe that the government suspects that there is evidence that he did engage in unwanted sexual activities with the alleged victims and/or forced the victims to engage in sex-related activity.”
